This was published 1 year ago
Boeing 777X take-off video: World's largest twin-engine jet makes steep take-off at launch of Farnborough Air Show
A Boeing 777X plane takes off at the Farnborough Air Show on Monday during its demonstration flight.Credit: AP
Boeing has shown off the latest version of the world's largest twin-engine jet at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK, with a spectacular flying display from a 777X.
Videos posted on social media and by Boeing itself show the 70-metre-long 777-9 (one of two 777X variants) soaring into the sky at a near-vertical angle before rapidly levelling out.
The 777-9 at the airshow is an experimental version of the plane, which is scheduled to be introduced to commercial service from 2025. The passenger versions of the aircraft have ranges of 16,170 km for the -8 and 13,500 kilometres for the -9. The -8's range gets it close to the distance required to complete Qantas' planned "Project Sunrise" non-stop routes from Australia's east coast to London and New York. While the 777-8 might be able to achieve these routes with some modifications, Qantas has already confirmed it plans to go with rival Airbus's A350-1000.
The 777X promises 10 per cent lower emissions and fuel use than its rivals, along with a wider, more comfortable cabin. The long-delayed plane currently has 376 orders from airlines around the world, with launch customer Qatar Airways indicating at the start of the air show it will increase its current order of 74 jets.
The air show, which alternates with Paris, is the first at Farnborough since 2019, and rising defence spending will be in focus amid the war in Ukraine.
As the event opened Boeing, under pressure to make up ground lost to rival Airbus, struck an upbeat tone on aircraft demand despite a faltering global economy.
"I think we'll see the glory of the old days - and then some," chief executive Dave Calhoun told CNBC, adding he was keeping a close eye on the economy. "For right now I am enjoying the robust demand that we see."
Boeing is seeking to shore up its troubled 737 MAX 10 and 777X jetliners with orders worth over $US15 billion at list prices from Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa.
Delta confirmed on Monday it would buy 100 737 MAX 10, worth $US13.5 billion at list prices, and had an option to buy another 30. Boeing's shares rose 4% in pre-market trade.
India's Jet Airways is near a deal to buy 50 A220 jets from Airbus, two people close to the matter said. The airline's board was due to meet on Monday to finalise the deal.
Demand for jets peaked in 2016 but remained buoyant until the pandemic crippled air transport. Now, travel is rebounding, passengers face long lines and some jets are back in demand.
But the big-ticket orders that dominated past events are rarer as airlines repair balance sheets weakened by COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Aerospace firms came under pressure from customers at the start of the show to stabilise fractured supply chains and feed resurgent jet demand, even as airlines and airports are struggling to smooth their own operations after the pandemic.
Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury told Flightglobal in an interview published on Monday that engine delays holding back plane deliveries would peak at mid-year.
But the head of the body representing global airlines, IATA Director General Willie Walsh, said manufacturers had wasted chances to shore up assembly lines.
"Airlines are frustrated by the delays around delivery of aircraft; they're frustrated around issues like access to spare parts," Walsh told Reuters.
"I think (manufacturers) should have taken better advantage of the lull in demand over the past two years to have been better prepared for this recovery."
Industries worldwide are facing gaps in supply chains and labour shortages. Even the Farnborough Airshow itself has had trouble recruiting enough hospitality staff, insiders said.
Aviation is also under pressure to build greener planes and stop adding to what Johnson called the "carbon tea cosy" heating the planet. "We know that we must fix it. We know that time is running out," he said.
with Reuters
See also: Superjumbo comeback: The airlines still flying A380s to Australia
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