An EU parliamentary committee voted Tuesday to extend the exemption of international flights from the EU's charges for carbon emissions, but only while it awaits the implementation of last year's worldwide UN deal on tackling aircraft emissions. In February the EC proposed extending for an indefinite period an exemption for flights into and out of the EU from having to buy credits under its carbon emissions trading system after the UN's ICAO struck a deal in October on a global market-based measure for offsetting airline emissions. The EU had ordered carriers to buy credits for foreign flights under its emissions trading system (ETS) in 2012 but backtracked when countries said it violated their sovereignty and China threatened to cancel plane orders from Airbus Group. It agreed to exempt international flights until the start of 2017 to give ICAO time to strike a global deal. "It is sensible that we extend the exemption for international flights to and from the EU until there is greater clarity on the ICAO scheme," said Julie Girling, member of the European Parliament, who is steering the legislation through the EU legislature. "However, unlike the European Commission, I believe this exemption must be time limited so that we can be sure that the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) will deliver its objectives,” Girling said after MEPs voted on the proposal in the Environment Committee.<br/>
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China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) has received regulatory approval to produce the ARJ21 Advanced Regional Jet. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) awarded a production certificate for the jet which had its first flight in November 2008. The certificate allows COMAC to deliver the ARJ21 to customers for commercial service. Chinese type certification of the ARJ21 was granted in December 2014, with first delivery to Chengdu Airlines in June 2016. The airline has flown a limited number of flights with the aircraft since then. Chengdu is expected to receive five more ARJ21s later this year. It currently has two ARJ21-700s in its fleet, with another 28 on order.<br/>
Embraer booked firm orders for 28 commercial aircraft from seven customers in Q2 2017, valued at approximately $1.6b at list prices, including the first orders this year for the E195-E2, following that aircraft’s rollout and first flight in March. An undisclosed customer ordered 10 E195-E2s at the Paris Air Show in June, with purchase rights for 10 additional aircraft, potentially a $1.3b transaction if all options are exercised. A separate undisclosed customer committed to purchase 20 E190-E2s during the quarter; the agreement is still to be finalized, and would be valued at $1.2b. Embraer said its total orders and commitments announced at the Paris Air Show “could reach 51 aircraft and roughly $3b.”<br/>