American Airlines to purchase 35 737-800s

American Airlines has decided to exercise purchase options for 35 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft.  The options were included as part of a previous order for 84 737 aircraft that began arriving back in 2009.  American plans on using the 737 aircraft to replace its archaic fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft, which are about 35% less fuel efficient compared to a 737-800.  They hope to achieve a total fleet of 195 737-800 aircraft by the end of 2012.  I've tended to avoid flying American on domestic flights because they mostly fly these old MD-80's with its crappy interiors and cramped seats.  But with these new 737-800s coming into service, I would be more willing to make the switch back to American.

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Qatar Airways announces order for 2 777-200LRs

Yesterday at the Farnborough Air Show, five-star airline Qatar Airways announced that it would be purchasing from Boeing 2 777-200LR Worldliner aircraft.  The total value of the order is around $501 million at list prices.  Currently Qatar flies an extensive 777 fleet that includes the aforementioned 777-200LR, the 777-300ER, and the 777-F, a freighter variant.

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Okay Airways orders 10 737-800s at Farnborough

Yesterday, Beijing-based airline Okay Airways signed an agreement with Boeing to acquire 10 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft, with an order value of around $800 million at list prices.  Okay Airways is China's first privately owned airline, serving domestic routes near its hub a Tianjin Binhai International Airport.  They are also an all-Boeing operator, with a fleet mostly comprised of 737-800 aircraft.

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Air Austral orders two 777-200LRs at Farnborough

Today at the Farnborough Air Show, French carrier Air Austral announced an agreement to purchase two Boeing 777-200LR Worldliners.  The order is valued at around $501 million at list prices.  The 777-200LR is an ideal aircraft for this particular airline.  With a total range of 9,395 nautical miles, it can connect any two city-pairs in the world nonstop.  In Air Austral's case, it allows for nonstop flights from Paris to the island nation of Reunion, a vacation hotspot located in the South Indian Ocean and Air Austral's base of operations.

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Air Lease Corporation to order 60 737-800s at Farnborough

Another company in the growing aviation leasing market, Los Angeles based Air Lease Corporation, has just signed an agreement with Boeing for 60 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft.  54 of those planes are firm orders, while the remaining six are purchase options.  Although a relatively new company (Air Lease was just recently founded in February 2010), it has at its helm Steven Udvar-Hazy, a former major player in the leasing industry when he was the head of International Lease Financing Corporation (ILFC).

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Avolon orders 12 Next-Gen 737-800s at Farnborough

Dublin, Ireland-based leasing company Avolon placed an order with Boeing for 12 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft at this year's Farnborough Air Show.  The order is valued at around $921 million at list prices.  Avolon is a brand new leasing outfit in the aviation sector, having just launched recently in May 2010.  Hopefully this is a sign that the aviation industry is coming out of its cyclic downturn and heading for greener pastures, especially with the number of orders that both Boeing and rival Airbus have been racking up at this year's show.

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Royal Jordanian orders 3 787s at Farnborough

Several more Dreamliners were placed on the growing order book today at the Farnborough International Airshow.  Jordan's national carrier, Royal Jordanian, placed an order with Boeing for three 787-8 aircraft, boosting their entire 787 fleet to 11 planes.  The order is worth about $500 million at list prices.  Jordanian Air (the first Middle Eastern airline to order the 787) plans to utilize its 787 fleet on North American routes, which include New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto.

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Norwegian Air Shuttle orders 15 Next-Gen 737s at Farnborough

Capping yesterday's flurry of aircraft orders at the U.K. Farnborough Air Show is an order by Norwegian Air Shuttle for 15 Next-Generation 737-800s.  To be more precise, the order is an exercise of purchase rights that Norwegian Air had secured way back in 2007, when they had made an order of 42 737's and 42 purchase rights.  The total order is valued at around $1.15 billion at list prices.

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GECAS announces order for 40 737-800s at Farnborough

Chalk up another order for Boeing at this year's Farnborough Air Show in England.  Leasing giant GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) announced an order with Boeing for 40 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft.  The total order value is around $3 billion at list prices.

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Emirates orders 30 777-300ERs at Farnborough

Today at the Farnborough Air Show in the U.K., Boeing cemented an important order for 30 777-300ER's from Dubai-based Emirates Airlines, one of the most dominant and luxurious airlines in the Middle East.  Emirates is already the world's largest operator of Boeing 777's, and is the only airline to fly every model within the 777 family.

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British Airways places order for 24 787 Dreamliners

On Sunday, 7/18, British Airways announced that it has placed an order with Boeing for 24 787 Dreamliner aircraft.  They will be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, and are scheduled to enter service around 2012.

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Boeing 737 faces tough challenges from its competitors

Interesting read from BBC news regarding Boeing's 737, the world's best-selling commercial aircraft.  It talks about the lean production system that Boeing has employed to manufacture these aircraft, its current status in the soon-to-be-crowded short-haul commercial aircraft market, and its future (new more fuel-efficient engines on the existing platform, or an all new aircraft design like the 787). 

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Boeing officially submits bid for U.S. Tanker contract

Today Boeing submitted its proposal for the U.S. Air Force aerial tanker contract, at a whopping 8,000 pages and over 1,200 graphic images.  I guess you need that much information so as to satisfy the Air Force's 372 mandatory requirements for their new tanker.  Airbus had already submitted their proposal yesterday.  As expected, Boeing will be pitting their 767-based tanker against Airbus' A330-based one, with a contract award to come no later than November 12, 2010.  Whether the Air Force decides to include into the contest the prickly matter of illegal subsides that the WTO had levied against Airbus remains to be seen.    Here are some fun facts about Boeing's tanker (officially dubbed the NewGen Tanker):

* Based on commercial 767 aircraft
* Digital flight deck
* Electronic displays that are currently used on the 787 Dreamliner
* Advanced KC-10 refueling boom with expanded refueling envelope,
  increased fuel offload rate, and fly-by-wire control system
* 40-year service life
* Burns 24% less fuel and weighs less than A330 tanker
* Saves American taxpayers more than $10 billion in fuel costs
* Supports approximately 50,000 U.S. jobs and more than 800
  suppliers in more than 40 states
* Manufacturing to take place in existing facilities in Washington and
  Kansas

NewGen Tanker Website

New player in U.S. Tanker contract

Looks like there will be a 3rd wheel in the ongoing saga that is the U.S. Air Force Tanker Replacement Program.  On July 2nd, the Department of Defense confirmed that Ukranian aircraft maker Antonov, in partnership with California-based Aerospace Inc., has been approved to enter the contest.  Antonov will offer three models from its product line: the AN-124 and AN-122, which are commercial passenger aircraft currently in use today, and the AN-112, which Antonov states will be specifically designed to meet all of the U.S. Air Force's tanker requirements.  The tankers would be manufactured in the Ukraine and then finished at a new U.S. based factory.  As to where that factory will be located remains undecided.  Now all we need is for a Chinese-based company to enter the contest to make things even more interesting!

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Boeing finalizes 787-9 design

On Thursday, July 1st, Boeing announced that it had finalized the basic design for the 787-9, which is a stretched version of the Dreamliner product line.  With a firm configuration set, Boeing and its network of global suppliers will now be able to begin producing parts for the new model.  The 787-9 can carry up to 290 passengers to distances as far as 8,500 nautical miles (about 4% farther than the 787-8, which is currently undergoing flight testing and FAA certification).  Compared to the 787-8, the 787-9 will have two new fuselage sections added.  First delivery of the aircraft is expected to occur around late 2013.  Meanwhile Boeing confirms that they are still on track for first delivery of the 787-8 to launch customer All Nippon Airways by the end of 2010.