The world’s airlines will need 39,620 new aircraft worth US$5.9t over the next 20 years, Boeing forecast, up 4.1% on its estimate last year. This will be driven largely by the growth of low-cost carriers and emerging markets, Boeing said on the first day of the Farnborough Airshow. The company said 28,140 new single-aisle planes will be delivered in the 20 years to 2035, up 5% from its forecast last year. Airlines will need 9,100 wide-body aircraft, with the company saying a wave of replacement demand will come in the 2021-2028 time-frame. Analysts have predicted a slowdown in aircraft purchases after Boeing and Airbus booked a record numbers of orders over the last few years. Falling oil prices also mean airlines are likely to keep older less fuel-efficient planes in their fleets for longer. <br/>
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Boeing has decided to add 2 more rows, or 12 seats, to the Boeing 737 MAX 7 compared with the 737-700, based on feedback from Southwest Airlines and WestJet. “Our customers voted and they wanted an aircraft with more range and seat count than the 737-700NG, so we are officially increasing the size of that airplane by 2 seat rows,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes SVP-global sales and marketing John Wojick said. Wojick said the capacity increase did not “dramatically change” the target market for the aircraft, which is slated to be the smallest member of the MAX family. “This configuration compliments the MAX 8 better on sizing – so both these aircraft move up in gauge. Frankly, it brackets our competition quite well,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP, marketing Randy Tinseth said. <br/>
Leaders of Boeing and Airbus like to say they don’t compete over safety, and that message is likely to reverberate throughout the international air show that begins Monday. But crash experts believe that isn’t the case when it comes to devising ways to prevent one of the most common types of airliner accidents: planes rolling off the sides or ends of runways during landings. Runway excursions have been the first or second most frequent category of commercial-aviation accidents world-wide for well over 15 years, prompting a series of manoeuvres by both companies to try to grab the lead in combating the hazards. The jet makers remain at loggerheads about a fundamental point: the need for joint US-European technical standards to enhance pilot awareness about the dangers of touching down too fast or too far down a runway. <br/>
Airbus fuelled investor concerns Monday that the current boom in passenger jet orders could be running out of momentum, but joined rival Boeing in upgrading forecasts for longer-term demand. John Leahy, Airbus COO for customers, admitted that it would be a “stretch” for the aircraft manufacturer to match each delivery planned this year with an order for a new jet. The group “might at some point” see orders for jets falling below aircraft deliveries, he said. Airbus expects to deliver 650-plus aircraft this year. At June 30, Airbus had secured orders for 183 jets — after deducting cancellations — and while more deals could be expected this week at the show, “we have got a lot of running to catch up”, said Leahy. Boeing has said it expects orders to come close to deliveries this year. <br/>
The House passed an aviation bill Monday aimed at boosting airport security, reducing screening lines and refunding fees to passengers whose luggage is lost or arrives late. The bill also extends the FAA's programs for 14 months at current funding levels. It was approved by a voice vote. The Senate is expected to vote later this week. Action is required by Friday, the day the FAA's current operating authority expires, to avoid a partial shutdown of the agency. House and Senate lawmakers had reached an agreement last week clearing the way for passage after Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House transportation committee, agreed to temporarily drop his effort to remove air traffic control operations from the FAA and place them under the control of a private, non-profit corporation. <br/>
Sukhoi is pressing ahead with modifications to improve its Superjet SSJ100 and may certificate some or all the modifications earlier than the late-2018 timeframe to which it has committed. The drive for an earlier date has been spurred by CityJet, which has a major hub at London City and has ordered the Russian jet. The combination of London City’s short runway and the presence of several high buildings in the nearby Docklands financial area mean that aircraft landing from the west have to adopt an approach of 5.5 degrees, almost double the standard 3 degree glideslope. With that in mind, Sukhoi is developing a modification pack consisting of a new flap setting (‘flap setting 3’), modifications to the braking system software and winglets. <br/>
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce has signed a letter of intent at the Farnborough Airshow to buy 10 TRJ328s, the updated, re-engined version of the former Dornier 328 regional jet that Turkey intends to use as the basis of a commercial aircraft industry. The Turkish govt said it intended to build updated versions of both the turboprop and jet versions of the 32-seat Dornier 328 as stepping stones towards the creation of a clean-sheet 60- to 70-seater known as the 628. This will also be built in turboprop and turbofan versions. The Chamber of Commerce intends to use its aircraft, which will be delivered in 2021/22, as ‘proof of concept’ aircraft to encourage existing or new airlines to buy into the 328 project, which envisages a network of routes between secondary and tertiary Turkish cities. <br/>