Tag Archives: Farnborough Airshow

GE Aerospace’s flying lab generates huge airshow interest

23 Thursday Jul 2026

Posted by in Aircraft, Aviation, GE Aerospace, Technology

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The Boeing 747-400 at the Farnborough International Airshow. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

FARNBOROUGH, England – Interest in GE Aerospace‘s flying testbed was so high at the Farnborough International Airshow this week that the company had to turn down many requests for tours.

GE Aerospace acquired the Boeing 747-400 from Japan Airlines in 2010 and converted it into an airborne laboratory to test and validate the safety and reliability of new engine technologies.

Nate Kamps, director Flight Test Operations. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

The aircraft, based in Victorville, Calif., primarily conducts test flights over the Sierra Nevada mountain range but also operates in other parts of the world when required, according to Nate Kamps, principal engineer and director of Flight Test Operations at GE Aerospace. Kamps’ team comprises 55 full-time employees.

Experimental engines are mounted on the aircraft’s wings for rigorous flight testing. Since entering service as a flying testbed, the 747-400 has logged more than 1,500 flight hours. Its predecessor, a Boeing 747-100, was retired in 2018 after 24 years of service.

The two test labs have supported the certification of 12 engine models and multiple variants for CFM International and GE Aerospace, including the CFM LEAP and GE9X.

The Open Fan technology demonstrator. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

CFM International is jointly owned by GE Aerospace and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines.

The aircraft is also supporting the CFM RISE technology demonstrator program, which aims to improve fuel efficiency by more than 20%.

A key element of the effort is the Open Fan engine architecture, which uses unshrouded fan blades instead of enclosing them within a nacelle.

In late 2024, the 747-400 served as a flight platform for the Contrail Optical Depth Experiment (CODEX), a project studying how aircraft contrails form.

Contrails, or condensation trails, are the bright white streaks left behind by high-flying aircraft. Although they are not pollutants themselves, they can trap heat radiating from the Earth’s surface, contributing to atmospheric warming.

GE Aerospace said the CODEX tests, conducted in collaboration with NASA, were intended to establish a baseline for future engine testing under the RISE program.

Engines are mounted on the wings of the flying testbed. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

A leading provider of aircraft propulsion, services and systems, GE Aerospace has an installed base of about 44,000 commercial and 26,000 military aircraft engines worldwide.

Embraer forecasts demand for 8,500 new jets through 2045

18 Saturday Jul 2026

Posted by in Aircraft, Aviation

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The Embraer E-195 E2 at the 2021 Dubai Airshow. Photo: Abdul Latheef

SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, Brazil – Embraer expects global demand for 8,500 new commercial airplanes in the sub-150-seat category, worth $650 billion, over the next 20 years, the aircraft manufacturer said in its 2026 Market Outlook released Saturday.

The forecast, published ahead of next week’s Farnborough International Airshow, projects global passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), will grow at an average annual rate of 3.7% through 2045.

China is expected to record the fastest annual RPK growth at 5.2%, followed by the Middle East at 4.6%, Africa at 4.4%, Latin America and the Caribbean at 4.3%, Asia Pacific at 4.1%, Europe at 2.7% and North America at 2.0%.

By 2045, Asia Pacific and China are projected to account for 40% of global passenger traffic, while Europe and North America are expected to represent a combined 37%, according to the report.

North America is forecast to receive the largest share of new aircraft deliveries, with 2,670 jets, or 31% of the total. Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States are projected to receive 1,870 aircraft (22%), followed by China with 1,470 (17%), Asia Pacific with 1,050 (13%), Latin America with 740 (9%), Africa with 370 (4%) and the Middle East with 330 (4%).

The report also examines global economic and aviation trends affecting aircraft demand across seven regions and includes an analysis of the standard-body cargo aircraft segment for aircraft weighing less than 40 metric tons.

Embraer will showcase the E195-E2, the largest member of its E2 narrow-body family, and the KC-390 Millennium tactical transport and multi-mission aircraft at the five-day Farnborough Airshow.

Boeing: Global commercial aircraft fleet will exceed 50,000 by 2045

17 Friday Jul 2026

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An image from the 2021 Dubai Airshow. Photo: Abdul Latheef

FARNBOROUGH, England – Boeing projects the global commercial fleet will exceed 50,000 airplanes by 2045 as passenger traffic doubles over the next 20 years, according to the company’s 2026 Commercial Market Outlook released late Thursday ahead of next week’s opening of the Farnborough International Airshow.

Boeing projects airlines will take delivery of nearly 44,000 new airplanes through 2045 to support fleet growth and replace older aircraft. About half of those deliveries are expected to replace previous-generation airplanes with more fuel-efficient models.

The company projects the global commercial aviation support and services market will total $4.9 trillion over the next 20 years.

Boeing also expects the industry will need more than 2.4 million new aviation personnel through 2045, including 674,000 pilots, 728,000 maintenance technicians and 1.02 million cabin crew members. It said about two-thirds of that workforce demand will replace retiring employees, while the remainder will support fleet growth.

The company said near-term disruptions are not expected to alter long-term aviation growth, with passenger traffic projected to increase about 4% annually between 2026 and 2045. Boeing said demand will be supported by tourism, business travel, expanding air networks and growth in emerging markets.

The projected airplane deliveries include about 33,500 single-aisle jets, 7,700 widebody aircraft, 1,400 regional airplanes and 930 freighters. Boeing said single-aisle fleets are expected to account for much of the growth, with the global fleet nearly doubling by 2045.

Boeing said airlines have added nearly 5,500 airport connections since 2015, contributing to network expansion and increased point-to-point travel. The company also said air cargo demand is expected to grow about 3.7% annually through 2045, supported by demand for time-sensitive goods, supply chain needs and cross-border commerce.

The five-day Farnborough International Airshow opens Monday. Boeing and other aircraft manufactures will showcase their products at the event.

Boeing: Aircraft market strong, resilient

10 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in A350XWB, Airbus, Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, Aviation, Boeing, Business, Dreamliner, News, Transport, Travel

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OutlookNearly 37,000 new airplanes worth US$5.2 trillion – that’s what Boeing expects the world will need over the next 20 years.

The American aircraft manufacturer released its annual Current Market Outlook in London ahead of next week’s Farnborough International Airshow.

It projects a demand for 36,770 new aircraft, an increase of 4.2 per cent from last year’s forecast.

“This market is strong and resilient,” said Randy Tinseth of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“With new and more efficient airplanes entering service, the growth in air travel is being driven by customers who want to fly where they want, when they want.”

The single-aisle market is projected to be the fastest growing segment because of the continued emergence of low-cost carriers.

Boeing said 25,680 new airplanes will be needed in this segment, making up 70 per cent of the total units in the forecast.

“Based on the overwhelming amount of orders and deliveries, we see the heart of the single-aisle market in the 160-seat range,” said Tinseth.

ANZ5In the twin-aisle segment, Boeing forecasts that 8,600 new airplanes will be needed. That will be led by small widebody airplanes in the 200 to 300 seat range such as the 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner, the company said.

Boeing will showcase its new 787-9 Dreamliner, the first of which was delivered to Air New Zealand this week, at the Farnborough Airshow, which opens Monday.

Airbus, the European manufacturer, will bring its new A350 XWB.