Embraer EJets G2 launch at Paris Air Show

Embraer will host a press conference regarding commercial aviation during the Paris Air Show next week on Monday (see the press release here). My strong guess is that this is where we will see the official launch of the EJet G2 Series.

And I guess Embraer will not only announce the official go-ahead but also will announce one or more first customers for the three-member strong family.

Good day for Bombardier CSeries!

It was a good day for the Bombardier CSeries yesterday (Feb. 20th).

The PW1500G, P&W’s first Geared Turbo Fan, was certified by Transport Canada. As the development of a complete new engine is always a risk, now one major risk on the whole CSeries program isn’t one anymore. It is also good news for Embraer, planning to use the same engine with slight changes to the externals  dubbed as PW1900G, for the upcoming and still-to-launch E190G2 and E195G2. Embraer can now bank on an engine that is proven in service for a few years when the G2 EJets enter service. That might have been one reason to choose the GTF over the NG34 and LEAP engines from GE and CFM.

But back to the Bombardier CSeries. The aircraft program got also a major commercial boost yesterday, when Ilyushin Finance signed a firm order for 32 CS300 plus 10 options. The original LoI called for 3 CS100 and 7 CS300 with ten options and ten purchase rights, so Ilyushin Finance upped their original commitment substantially.

Now the whole aerospace world is waiting for the first flight of the CSeries (and as well for the first flight of the A350 and London bookmakers are taking bets who is first).

Later today there will be  the conference call for results of the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec. 31^st. Maybe we will hear more on the progress of the program.

Narrowbody Review 2012

Slowly, but inevitably, the year 2012 is coming to an end. Here are some thoughts about the current situation of the narrowbody market:

Orders

 

Boeing now has not yet fulfilled its own prophecy and has “only” 969 firm orders for the B737MAX in its books (with 819 orders in 2012), shy only 31 from the goal to have 1,000 by the end of 2012 and I guess that there will be another order (or more) in December to fill that gap..