Boeing 747 and Airbus A380: End of the jumbos of the skies?

Jakarta Post – AFP, ALI BEKHTAOUI WITH AFP BUREAUS, July 18, 2020

In this file photograph taken on May 3, 2019, a British Airways Boeing 747
passenger aircraft prepares to land at London Heathrow Airport, west of
London. (AFP/Ben Stansall)

The Boeing 747's slow descent into retirement from commercial service just got steeper with British Airways' announcement Friday it would be pulling the jumbo jet from the skies as the coronavirus pandemic forces it to cut back operations and cut costs.

BA's announcement follows moves by a number of other airlines that have retired their 747s and their Airbus A380, another jumbo-sized four-engine jet made by Boeing's European rival.

The fact the planes have four engines means they consume more fuel, which means they can cost more to operate and cause more pollution if not full.

Who has grounded their jumbos?

Lufthansa announced in April that it is grounding five of its 32 747s and 14 A380s, saying the move was related to their higher environmental and economic footprint.

Air France, which had already planned to retire its A380s in 2022 because of their higher operating costs, also took advantage of the reduced demand for traffic due to coronavirus lockdowns to mothball them early.

Australia's Qantas also accelerated its phase out of its three 747s, and its A380s are also set to go.

Korean Air is only flying 12 out of its 23 Boeing 747s -- 11 cargo and one passenger jet, according to the airline.

Air India's four 747s are being used to fly VIPs and take part in evacuations.

America said goodbye to the Boeing 747 in December 2017, when Delta, the last US airline to use the jet, retired the aircraft.

Coronavirus to blame?

"Coronavirus is an accelerant," said Remy Bonnery, an aviation expert at Archery Consulting.

Both the 747 and A380 "are much more difficult to manage in a fleet... They are not the easiest aircrafts to fill, they consume more" fuel, he said.

Launched in 1970, Boeing's jumbo jet can transport more than 600 passengers in certain configurations. The A380 can carry up to 853.

"Even before the crisis there was a trend towards smaller and more flexible aircraft" that are less costly to operate and can be used very different types of routes, said Bonnery.

Aviation expert Sebastien Maire at Kea & Partners recently told AFP that the A380 offers airlines the lowest operating cost per seat, provided every seat is occupied.

Filling the planes was proving difficult for airlines on many routes, however.

End of the giants of the skies?

"It is clear there won't be trend towards jumbos in the coming years," said Bonnery, adding that the "manufacturers will above all focus on short-haul planes and single-aisle aircraft capable of assuring long routes."

Emirates, which has the largest fleet of A380s at 115, has said it will continue to fly the aircraft that entered service just 15 years ago.

But Emirates acknowledged that the days are numbered for jumbo jets.

Airbus has already announced it will make the final delivery of a 251st A380 next year.

Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the final 747 will roll off the assembly line in two years, but the manufacturer has yet to officially confirm when it will halt production.

There is one customer still waiting for delivery of new 747s: the White House.

Two of the latest version the aircraft, the 747-8, the largest, fastest an most fuel efficient version of the aircraft are due to made to serve as Air Force 1.

Shoveled: Garuda Boss Fired for Smuggling Harley Davidson Bike and Brompton Bicycles

Jakarta Globe, NUR YASMIN, December 5, 2019

The disassembled parts of a smuggled Harley Davidson Shovelhead are shown 

by customs officials in Jakarta on Thursday. (B1 TV Photo)

Jakarta. Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia's president director I Gusti Ngurah Ashkara is soon to be fired for allegedly smuggling a Harley Davidson motorcycle and two Brompton bicycles, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir said on Thursday.

The items were smuggled inside Garuda's brand new Airbus A330-900 Neo being delivered from its factory in Toulouse, France, in mid-November.

There were 22 passengers on the plane and four of them were Garuda directors: the president director, better known as Ari Ashkara, technical and services director Iwan Joeniarto, cargo and business development director Mohammas Iqbal and human resources director Heri Akhyar.

"As the SOE Minister, I will dismiss the Garuda president director. We will not stop there; we will look for other people who might have been involved in this case as well," Erick told a press conference in Jakarta.

The used Harley Davidson motorcycle had been disassembled prior to delivery and smuggled as parts. Customs officials found them wrapped in 15 boxes inside the plane's cargo area.

The Brompton bikes and accessories were found in three other boxes.

Erick said an audit by the customs office showed the smuggled items belonged to the president director, despite the baggage claim tags carrying different names.

Ari had instructed his subordinates to find him a classic Harley Davidson Shovelhead from the 1970s.

The used motorcycle was purchased in April 2019 with the help of a Garuda finance manager in Amsterdam.

"It's really sad that this [personal] transaction had to drag down an SOE," Erick said.

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhur Binsar Pandjaitan said during a visit to Tongxiang, China, on Thursday that he fully supported Erick's decision.

"[An act like] this will hurt our investment climate," he said.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati meanwhile said smuggling the Harley and the Bromptons had cost the country up to Rp 1.5 billion ($107,000) in unpaid taxes.

"The Harley bike is valued at Rp 800 million and the Brompton bicycles cost Rp 50-60 million each," Sri Mulyani said.

"Everyone should always obey existing regulations," she told reporters.

India's IndiGo makes $33bn mega-order of Airbus jets

Yahoo – AFP, October 29, 2019

With another 300 fuel-efficient planes on order, IndiGo will be able to reduce
fuel costs further in the future (AFP Photo/RAVEENDRAN)

Indian airline IndiGo has placed an order for 300 A320neo family aircraft, Airbus said Tuesday, in one of its largest-ever orders from a single firm, worth over $33.2 billion at catalogue prices.

The leading Indian airline said the order would help it to keep growing fast while cutting costs.

The Airbus order stands in stark contrast to the situation faced by its direct rival, Boeing's 737 MAX airliner, which has been grounded since March following two crashes that killed a total of 346 people.

Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg was to appear Tuesday and Wednesday before US lawmakers who want to know among other things if Boeing cut corners to rush the MAX out to compete with the Airbus A320neo models.

"The fuel-efficient A320neo family aircraft will allow IndiGo to maintain its strong focus on lowering operating costs and delivering fuel efficiency with high standards of reliability," Riyaz Peermohamed, Chief Aircraft Acquisition and Financing Officer of IndiGo, said in a statement.

IndiGo is already the largest operator of Airbus's latest-generation single-aisle model, which have become a top seller as they offer airlines considerable savings in fuel, one of their biggest costs.

The airline currently operates 97 of the planes. Including the 300 ordered on Tuesday, it has ordered a total of 730 of the medium-range models.

India's market for aircraft is growing fast.

The number of passengers there has multiplied by six over the past decade as middle class travellers take advantage of better connections and cheaper flights.

"We are pleased to see our aircraft allowing IndiGo to take full advantage of the predicted growth in Indian air travel," Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury was quoted by a statement as saying.

An Airbus estimate of the need for new planes in India over the next 20 years foresees domestic traffic that is 4.8 times greater than at present.

The latest IndiGo order includes a mix of the A320neo, the larger-capacity A321neo and the A321XLR, with a range of 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 kilometres, 5,400 miles) that is to be unveiled in June.

"IndiGo has brilliantly demonstrated the relevance of the A320neo for leading low-cost operators, and the A321neo -- and now the A321XLR -- provide our operators with the logical next step in cost efficiency, passenger comfort and market coverage," said Airbus' chief commercial officer, Christian Scherer.

At the end of September, Airbus had recorded more than 6,650 firm orders from nearly 110 clients for planes from the A320neo line, while Boeing had booked 4,930 orders for the 737 MAX.

Airbus ups estimate of 20-year demand for new planes

France24 – AFP, 18 September 2019

Paris (AFP) - Airbus on Wednesday increased its estimate of the number of new aircraft needed over the coming two decades as airlines seek more fuel-efficient planes even as it trimmed its forecast for the increase in demand for air travel.

In its latest Global Market Forecast for the next 20 years, the European aircraft maker said it expects air traffic to grow by 4.3 percent annually, a drop from the 4.4 percent annual growth it forecast last year.

Nevertheless, Airbus now expects even higher demand for new aircraft than it did last year thanks to airlines increasingly retiring older planes for new ones that offer lower operating costs as they consume less fuel.

Airbus anticipates demand for new aircraft over the coming two decades at 39,210 planes, a rise of nearly 2,000 from its forecast last year, due a sharp increase in replacements. Unlike last year, it did not provide a cost estimate.

"Developments in superior fuel efficiency are further driving demand to replace existing less fuel efficient aircraft," said Airbus in a statement.

However, it scaled back the number of planes it expects airlines to acquire to meet growth in demand for air travel by more than 1,500 aircraft to 25,000.

Airbus said that nevertheless the annual growth of more than 4 percent reflects the resilient nature of aviation from economic shocks and its increasingly key role in the global economy.

"Economies thrive on air transportation. People and goods want to connect," said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.

"Globally, commercial aviation stimulates GDP growth and supports 65 million livelihoods, demonstrating the immense benefits our business brings to all societies and global trade," he added.

The firm also stressed that with its latest more fuel efficient models it will help the airline industry limit its environmental impact.

"Airbus believes it will largely contribute to the progressive decarbonisation of the air transport industry and the objective of carbon neutral growth from 2020 while connecting more people globally," it said.

The airline industry aims to freeze its carbon footprint at its 2020 level thanks to more fuel efficient aircraft and through offsets like planting trees.

Boeing apologises for 737 MAX crashes as Paris Air Show opens

Yahoo – AFP, Joseph Schmid, June 17, 2019

If the aviation market continues to soften, Airbus and Boeing could face a
disappointing year (AFP Photo/ERIC PIERMONT)

Le Bourget (France) (AFP) - A top Boeing executive apologised Monday for two crashes of 737 MAX jets that together killed 346 people, disasters which have pushed safety to the top of the agenda as aerospace firms gathered for the opening of the Paris Air Show.

The US aerospace giant is battling to regain the trust of passengers, pilots and regulators after a 737 operated by Indonesia's Lion Air flight crashed last October, followed by an Ethiopian Airlines jet in March.

"We are very sorry for the loss of lives as a result of the tragic accidents... our thoughts and our prayers are with their families," Boeing's head of commercial aircraft Kevin McAllister told journalists at the air show.

"Our priority is doing everything to get this plane safely returned to service. It is a pivotal moment for all of us," he said.

But McAllister and other executives faced a barrage of questions over Boeing's handling of the 737 MAX disasters, thought to be caused by a faulty MCAS anti-stall system.

Boeing's Kevin McAllister apologised for the 737 MAX crashes, but questions
remain (AFP Photo/ERIC PIERMONT)

Critics accuse Boeing of failing to sufficiently test a system that used just one sensor to determine if the 737 was at risk of stalling, and of failing to adequately inform and train pilots.

Reports also suggest that US safety regulators allowed Boeing engineers to self-certify the system, prompting worries of insufficient oversight at the planemaker.

McAllister said a planned fix for the anti-stall software would use two sensors, but it has yet to submit its proposal to regulators, who have grounded the plane indefinitely.

"We are very confident that the three layers of protection we are planning with the software update will prevent anything like this happening again," he said.

Europe's new fighter jet

Several executives at the Paris Air Show vowed to improve transparency over plane safety in the wake of the 737 MAX crashes, while also pledging to reduce emissions for an industry increasingly in the public spotlight.

The Paris Air Show kicked off with a markedly less self-congratulatory
mood (AFP Photo/BENOIT TESSIER)

Few blockbuster products or orders are expected at the world's biggest aerospace show, which brings together nearly 2,500 firms from 49 countries, and 290 official delegations, including government leaders and military chiefs.

But with passenger traffic slowing this year, the atmosphere at the fair, where arch-rivals Boeing and Airbus usually vie for aircraft orders, was markedly less self-congratulatory than in recent years.

President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the event at Le Bourget airport after flying in on a hulking grey Airbus A330 refuelling tanker operated by the French Air Force.

He then attended the unveiling of a full-size model of the new fighter jet that France and Germany are promoting as a symbol of their efforts to bolster European defence autonomy at a time of fraying ties with the United States.

The stealth plane is part of the ambitious Future Combat Air System (FCAS) that includes next-generation drones and missiles, which would help reduce the EU's long reliance on US planes and equipment.

At an airbase near you in about 20 years: The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) 

jet (AFP Photo/ERIC PIERMONT)

The cooperation framework was later signed by the defence ministers of France, Germany and Spain, so far the only other EU nation to join the project, which aims to have its new plane in operation by 2040.

Macron then toured the vast exhibition halls at Le Bourget, where dozens of companies are touting their efforts to make flying cleaner amid criticism of airlines' carbon emissions.

Airbus officially unveiled its A321 XLR jet, the latest iteration of its hugely popular single-aisle A320, which can now cross the Atlantic thanks to increased fuel efficiency.

That makes it an option for airlines which currently have to use bigger, fuel-hungry twin-aisle planes on longer routes.

The US-based Air Lease Corporation has signed a letter of intent to buy 27 of the planes, with deliveries to start in 2023.

France and Germany hope to reduce their reliance on US equipment (AFP Photo/

BENOIT TESSIER)

Clouds on horizon

Both Airbus and Boeing have suffered a wave of order cancellations as airlines grapple with slowing passenger traffic growth since the start of this year.

And air cargo shipments, often an indicator of passenger traffic trends, have been slumping so far in 2019, reflecting the trade tensions prompted by US President Donald Trump's move to impose tariffs on several European and Chinese imports.

If the aviation market continues to soften, Airbus and Boeing could suffer their first disappointing year after more than a decade of solid growth driven in particular by the soaring numbers of people flying in Asia.

The two industry leaders can take comfort from jam-packed order books after hefty revenue growth last year, when their combined deliveries exceeded 1,600 planes.

Analysts say nearly 40,000 planes will be in service by 2038, double the industry's current fleet.

Flying cars mooted for Paris' public transport network

France24 – AFP, 15 May 2019

A flying car prototype, developed by Airbus and Audi seen at last year's Vivatech
fair in Paris A flying car prototype, developed by Airbus and Audi seen at last
year's Vivatech fair in Paris AFP

Paris (AFP) - European aerospace giant Airbus and Paris underground operator RATP will study the viability of adding flying vehicles to the city's urban transport network, the companies said Wednesday.

The firms will "explore the feasibility of urban air mobility services" in the French capital and the broader Ile de France region, they said in a statement.

"Airbus is developing demonstrators of autonomous and unmanned technologies," said the company's chief executive Guillaume Faury.

"This is not science-fiction any more, It is fact. Today we have all the technical tools. But they have to be integrated into everyday life without jeopardising our priority, which is safety," he added.

RATP is a good partner in such a project because of its knowledge of the associated needs and services," said Faury.

Chief executive Catherine Guillouard of RATP, which manages Paris' bus, train, and underground services, said mass transport remained the group's core business, but it also sought "to develop new modes of transport and new services for the smart city of the future".

There have been several attempts around the world to develop flying cars, such as the Transition made by US firm Terrafugia and the AeroMobil, produced in Slovakia.

Both have taken years and a lot of money to develop, and are yet to go on sale.

"Flying cars are definitely coming within the next two to three years. The regulation is in place and authorities are actively supporting the innovation," AeroMobil told AFP.

Levi Tillemann, author of the 2015 book: "The Great Race: The Global Quest For The Car Of The Future", said safety was a major challenge.

"The only thing that really makes the idea of a flying car even remotely viable is a new generation of autonomous driving technologies that will reduce the likelihood of catastrophic failure."

But he added that "from both a cost and energy consumption standpoint, ground-based transit generally makes more sense".

Flying car prototypes have become regular attractions at the annual VivaTech exhibition, which opens in Paris Thursday.

There are at least 20 flying car projects underway, and the Uber ride-sharing company is looking into "flying taxis".

Canada's Bombardier says selling aerospace plant in Belfast

Yahoo – AFP, May 2, 2019

Bombardier is one of Northern Ireland's biggest employers with around 3,600
staff (AFP Photo/PIERRE VERDY)

London (AFP) - Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier said Thursday it was selling its plant in Northern Ireland, which produces wings for Airbus aircraft, as part of a reorganisation of the business.

"As the company moves to optimise its global manufacturing footprint, Bombardier haha aerostructures businesses," the company said in a statement.

"These are great businesses with tremendous capabilities," the Montreal-based firm said.

The company, which axed 490 people in Belfast last year as part of a global cost-cutting drive, is one of Northern Ireland's biggest employers with around 3,600 staff.

"We understand that this announcement may cause concern among our employees, but we will be working closely with them and our unions as matters progress, and through any future transition period to a new owner," it said.

Michael Mulholland, an organiser for the GMB trade union, demanded "reassurances" for workers.

"Our members -- and their families -- have already suffered a terrible year," he said.

"Bombardier jobs are absolutely vital to Northern Ireland's economy and it's time workers were treated with the respect they deserve."

The sale of the Belfast facilities was also deeply concerning to Michelle O'Neill, new head of the Sinn Fein party, who noted that the news added to economic uncertainty caused by Brexit.

Previously the company decided to give up control of its new C Series aircraft, now known as the A220, to Airbus in exchange for using Airbus's sales and marketing heft to lift sales.

Since then Bombardier -- which has 68,000 employees worldwide -- has refocused on business aviation and in particular on its new Global 7500.

David Coleal, the head of this division, will lead the new Bombardier Aviation division, which will have its business concentrated in Montreal, Mexico, as well as in Texas for the wings of the Global 7500, the company said.

Bombardier almost quintupled its net profit to 239 million US dollars in the first quarter, after revising down its profit targets for 2019 last week.

Jetliner lands in US after world's longest flight

Yahoo – AFP, Thomas URBAIN, October 12, 2018

Singapore Airlines Flight SQ22 arrived in Newark after a flight of 17 hours
and 52 minutes (AFP Photo/Handout)

An Airbus jetliner arrived in Newark on Friday after a nearly 18-hour trip from Singapore, completing the world's longest commercial flight.

It marked the revival of a route that had been eliminated in 2013.

Singapore Airlines Flight SQ22 arrived at 5:29 am (0929 GMT), having left Singapore's Changi airport at 11:23 pm, the Newark Liberty International Airport website said. That made for a flight of 17 hours and 52 minutes.

The flight had been scheduled to take 18 hours and 25 minutes.

The plane was carrying 150 passengers and 17 crew members as it traveled 10,250 miles (16,500 kilometers).

"I feel perfectly well rested," said Kristopher Alladin, a 37-year-old Canadian. "I'm lucky because I'm able to sleep on the plane."

Flying from New York to Singapore would be a longer journey, lasting an estimated 18 hours and 45 minutes. The first flight in that direction took off from Newark at 11:10 am Friday.

Singapore Airlines only offers premium economy and business seats on the flight -- no regular economy seats.

Singaporean William Chua (R) with family members, all passengers of flight SQ22, 

Singapore Airlines' inaugural non-stop flight to New York pose with souvenir cards after 

their their check-in at Changi International Airport in Singapore on October 11, 

2018 (AFP Photo/ROSLAN RAHMAN)

"Although you're in premium eco, you feel like you're in first class," said Alladin, adding that he had taken the same flight in 2008. "The flight was very smooth, very quiet."

'Ended too fast!'

"The flight was great, smooth, enjoyable and ended too fast!" said Danny Ong, an engineer and flight enthusiast from Singapore, after landing in Newark.

"We were served a supper of three choices after takeoff. I slept soundly, woke up and realized [there were] around eight hours left," said Ong, who took the first flight back to Singapore, straight after landing in Newark.

"The crews were attentive, professional and responded promptly. Highly recommended if you are flying from Singapore to NYC in future."

A one-way ticket from Singapore to New York on this flight costs about $2,150 in premium economy and $3,500 for a roundtrip itinerary, according to the Singapore Airlines website.

Singapore Airlines originally flew the route for nine years using the gas-guzzling, four-engine A340-500 plane before abandoning it in 2013 because high oil prices made the service unprofitable.

Graphic of Singapore Airlines' flight to New York (AFP Photo/Laurence CHU)

This trip was made with the new, more fuel efficient Airbus A350-900ULR, which consumes 25 percent less fuel than its predecessor.

It topped the previous longest direct air link between cities -- Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes.

The A350 is these days considered the go-to plane for long-haul flights, nudging out the A380, which was previously the flagship for such long distance journeys, and which carries up to 850 passengers, more than twice the number of the A350.

The Singapore Airlines flight had been specially configured to seat 161 passengers for the service between the two global financial hubs.

Delta orders 100 Airbus planes in blow to Boeing

Yahoo – AFP, John BIERS, 14 December 2017

Delta orders 100 Airbus planes in blow to Boeing

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL - news) announced Thursday that it has ordered 100 Airbus planes with an option to buy 100 more, in a blow to Airbus' American rival Boeing (NYSE: BA - news) .

Delta said it was buying the A321neo aircraft to renew its narrow-body fleet, which have 197 seats and are used for domestic or short international flights.

The Airbus order comes amid public friction between Delta and US giant Boeing over a trade dispute involving a separate Delta deal to buy planes from Canadian company Bombardier (Toronto: BBD-A.TO - news) .

Airbus deliveries to Delta will begin in 2020 and go through 2023 under the order, worth an estimated $12.7 billion based on the aircraft catalogue price.

Delta said in an investor presentation that the new planes would result in 40 percent fuel savings compared with the jet they are replacing.

"This is the right transaction at the right time for our customers, our employees and our shareholders," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.

US built planes

Airbus in 2015 opened a manufacturing plant in Mobile, Alabama to build single-aisle planes with an eye towards competing more aggressively in the US market.

Toulouse, France-based Airbus highlighted its growing connection to the US in the announcement, saying most of the new planes would be delivered from Mobile.

"This purchase furthers our commitment to US aviation -- a commitment that has never been stronger," said John Leahy, chief operating officer for customers at Airbus Commercial Aircraft.

"Today, there is more US content in Airbus aircraft than from any other country, with more than 40 percent of our aircraft-related procurement coming from the United States."

Delta also announced that it picked United Technologies' Pratt & Whitney as the engine provider, and for engine maintenance. Delta also selected Pratt engines for the Bombardier order, which is at the heart of the Boeing trade dispute,

Boeing has argued Delta's planes were underpriced due to illegal Canadian government subsidies to Bombardier.

"Delta remains a valued customer, and we'll continue exploring ways to best meet their needs in the future," a Boeing spokesman said.

"We competed with a strong but disciplined offer in the Delta campaign. While Delta has chosen to go with Airbus and Bombardier in recent single aisle campaigns, we are proud of the 737 MAX family's superior value and performance."

Canada-based Bombardier in October unveiled a production alliance with Airbus that granted the European company a stake in the Bombardier C-Series program. Delta has said it will not pay for any punitive tariffs sought by the US government in response to Boeing complaints.

Boeing's actions in the trade dispute has done "significant has done significant damage to its relationship with Delta for sure," said Jim Corridore, an analyst at CFRA Research.

"Obviously today's news is a direct blowback to Boeing's protectionist stance in getting the US government to add those taxes to the Bombardier jets."

Corridore noted that Boeing also lost a major deal with the Canadian government, which dropped a deal to buy F-18 fighters from the US company following the trade dispute.

Boeing's stance "makes no sense" and has "cost them two major deals," he said, adding that Boeing's outlook is otherwise bright because of strong demand in both commercial airplane and defense businesses.

Made-in-China passenger jet set to take wing

Yahoo – AFP, Albee ZHANG, May 3, 2017

The C919's test flight comes after almost a decade of effort by Chinese
 authrorities to build a domestic aviation giant and reduce reliance on
Boeing and Airbus

China is expected within days to carry out the maiden test flight of a home-grown passenger jet built to meet soaring Chinese travel demand and challenge the dominance of Boeing and Airbus.

The C919, built by state-owned aerospace manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), was set to take wing over Shanghai and could be cleared for takeoff as early as Friday, according to state media.

The narrow-body jet represents nearly a decade of effort in a state-mandated drive to reduce dependence on European consortium Airbus and US aerospace giant Boeing.

"The first flight itself is not a huge deal. (But) of course, it's going to be a hugely symbolic moment in the evolution of China's aviation industry," said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor at industry publication Flightglobal.

The C919 is the country's first big passenger plane and the latest sign of growing Chinese ambition and technical skill, coming one week after China launched its first domestically made aircraft carrier and successfully docked a cargo spacecraft with an orbiting space lab.

The C919 can seat 168 passengers and has a range of up to 5,555 kilometres (3,444 miles).

Long way to go

China is a huge battleground for Boeing and Airbus, with its travellers taking to the skies in ever-growing numbers.

China homegrown jet

The Chinese travel market is expected to surpass the United States by 2024, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Airbus has estimated Chinese airlines will need nearly 6,000 new planes over the next two decades, while Boeing foresees 6,800 aircraft. Both put the combined price tags for those planes at around $1 trillion.

But aviation analysts said Shanghai-based COMAC has a long journey ahead before it can challenge the lock held on the market by Boeing and Airbus.

"This is an important milestone for China with this new aircraft. But for it to move to the next stage, which is to sell this product, is not going to be so easy," said Shukor Yusof, an analyst with Malaysia-based aviation consultancy Endau Analytics.

But COMAC may be able to rely on purchases by fast-growing Chinese airlines as it looks to get sales off the ground.

COMAC had already received 570 orders by the end of last year, almost all from domestic airlines.

Waldron agreed it will take time, but said that over the next century China will become a world aviation player.

"You are going to have three big companies. You will have Boeing, you will have Airbus, and you will have COMAC," he said.

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) had already 

received 570 orders by the end of last year, almost all from domestic airlines

China has dreamed of building its own civil aircraft since the 1970s, when it began work on the narrow-body Y-10, which was eventually deemed unviable and never entered service.

COMAC's first regional jet, the 90-seat ARJ 21, entered service in 2016, several years late.

Long-haul ambition

The ARJ 21 is currently restricted to flying Chinese domestic routes as it still lacks the crucial US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification that would allow it to fly US skies.

The C919's first test flight had been due to take place in 2016 but was delayed.

Besides the C919, China is also working with Russia to develop a long-haul wide-bodied jet called the C929.

Although the C919 is made in China, foreign firms are playing key roles by supplying systems as well as the engines, which are made by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric (GE) of the US and France's Safran.

During a visit to COMAC in 2014, President Xi Jinping said not having a homegrown plane left China at the mercy of foreign industrial groups, state media reported at the time.

China last August launched a new multi-billion dollar jet-engine conglomerate with nearly 100,000 employees, with the hope of powering its own planes with self-made engines.

After the C919's first flight, it will still need to pass a series of tests to obtain Chinese airworthiness certification before it can sell the aircraft.

China also has for years been in talks with the FAA to obtain certification for both the ARJ 21 and the C919, without result.

#UPDATE Chinese-built large passenger plane takes off on maiden test flight https://t.co/ZCRMBzxaf9 pic.twitter.com/DcQ2rQZRaJ

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 5, 2017

Indonesia and Airbus Join Hands on Sustainable Aviation Development

Jakarta Globe, Sarah Yuniarni, October 03, 2016

French aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation's
Directorate General of Civil Aviation have signed a long-term partnership in
Montreal, Canada, in a bid to mitigate aircraft carbon emissions. (Reuters Photo/
Edgar Su)

Jakarta. French aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation's Directorate General of Civil Aviation have signed a long-term partnership in Montreal, Canada, in a bid to mitigate aircraft carbon emissions.

The agreement to share information and conduct best practices in improving sustainable aviation development was signed on Sept. 26, during the two-day World Aviation Forum on Aviation Partnerships for Sustainable Development, which was organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Under the terms of the agreement, Airbus will assist Indonesia to implement environmental best practices and equip its latest-generation aircraft with the company's newest technologies to optimize air traffic management and the use of sustainable fuels to reduce noise and fuel emissions.

The Airbus "Sustainable Aviation Engagement Program" was established by the Airbus in 2015 to educate and share information on environmental issues with airplane operators worldwide.

"We are very pleased to see the sustainable aviation engagement program taking shape with world-leading airlines," Airbus environment head Jean-Luc Taupiac said in a statement received by the Jakarta Globe on Monday (03/10).

He added that the company is working closely with its customers and building long-term partnerships with them.

Civil Aviation director general Suprasetyo said in the statement that Indonesia is committed to reducing emissions and demonstrating the change in environmental performance on the next-generation aircraft, as the demand for flights keep growing in the archipelago.

He said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation seeks to work with strategic partners and welcomes the opportunity to work closely with Airbus.

Related Article:

Aviation industry agrees deal to curb carbon emissions