The 2022 Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) gets underway tomorrow, and the five-day aviation extravaganza will showcase the return to growth of commercial aviation, increased commitments to defence spending and the emergence of next-generation aviation technologies. The 2020 edition of the biennial airshow was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the pandemic continues to linger on, the world is returning to normalcy, as evidenced by the robust rebound in global air travel.
Show Revival
The 2018 edition of FIA featured 1,500 exhibitors from 48 countries and received 80,000 visitors. It had also notched up $192 billion worth of deals, of which commercial aircraft orders amounted to $154 billion. For the 2022 edition of the show, the organisers expect record orders to be announced. The show's latest edition will also launch the Aerospace Global Forum (AGF), which aims to provide a platform to champion change and drive immediate action, accelerating the transition to the new, net-zero economy. The AGF will set the agenda for the industry in the years ahead, discussing the new digital workforce and future leaders of the aerospace and defence industry and preparing organisations for the new skills needed in an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-fueled world.
Topics include transitioning to Net Zero, sustainability across the defence sector, smart manufacturing, and hyper-scaling within the industry to accelerate change.
'Climate change is the largest challenge to affect the world and we must react to it as an industry with the support of governments, academics, regulators, and innovators. A diverse platform is needed to host these future-altering discussions, leading us to harness our pioneering spirit to develop and curate the Aerospace Global Forum. I urge industry leaders to join us in driving change and mapping out the next steps to achieve a net zero economy,' said Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International.
Boeing Bounces Back
With the revival in air traffic and continued return to normalcy for international air travel, global airlines and aircraft lessors are expected to announce significant orders for widebody long-haul jetliners at the show. As a result, global airframers are leaving no stone unturned to display their latest commercial aircraft at the show. Boeing's new 777-9 flew non-stop from Boeing field to Farnborough to make its UK debut, and it's 737-10 is also making its UK debut at FIA. Both aircraft will be part of the daily flying display. The 737-10 and 777-9 are the newest and largest members of Boeing's 737 MAX and 777X airplane families. The 777X family has more than 340 orders from leading operators worldwide, and Boeing will be looking to make significant additions to this tally at FIA.
On July 11, Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) Holdings (ANA HD) announced that it had agreed with Boeing to convert two orders for the Boeing 777-9 aircraft to Boeing 777-8F cargo and finalised its existing purchase agreement for 30 737-8 aircraft. ANA HD decided to convert two of the 20 Boeing 777-9 aircraft that had been initially announced in March 2014 with Boeing 777-8F cargo aircraft. The aircraft will be introduced into service on/after fiscal 2028. ANA HD will purchase 30 Boeing 737-8 aircraft (20 confirmed and ten optional). The order was announced in January 2019, and deliveries are slated to begin in fiscal 2025.
Boeing's joint venture Wisk Aero will make the European debut of its all-electric vertical-takeoff-landing (eVTOL) air taxi. The pilotless 'Cora' development vehicle is helping advance autonomous aviation capabilities. Boeing is also displaying its MQ-25 uncrewed aerial refueler and Airpower Teaming System (ATS), which is furthering autonomous capabilities in the military domain. Boeing will also unveil a modelling tool that will provide actionable insights on strategies that the aviation industry can use to reach net zero emissions by 2050. 'In the four years since the last Farnborough Airshow, the world has seen the critical social and economic role that aerospace and defence play. We are excited to reconnect with our colleagues at Farnborough as we address together the need for a more sustainable future and take concrete steps to enable innovation and clean technology,' said Sir Michael Arthur, president of Boeing International.
Airbus Puts On Strong Show
Airbus has brought its A350-900 and A220-300 aircraft to Farnborough. At Farnborough, these two aircraft types in customers' livery are on static display with an ITA A350-900 and airBaltic A220-300, respectively. The European airframer's A350-900 MSN002 flight-test aircraft will take part in the daily flying display. Airbus also has a strong military aviation portfolio showcased at FIA and includes a Royal Air Force (RAF) A400M airlifter and C295 multi-role tactical airlifter on static display. The C295 has also been ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Airbus is putting on quite a show with its central 1,880sqm Airbus Pavilion, while the Airbus Stand in Hall-4 features a dedicated 'Space Zone,' focusing on Airbus' role as a key enabler within the wider space ecosystem. Airbus is also showcasing its solar-powered Zephyr Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Skynet6 military communications, OneWeb Internet satellites and the Aeolus weather satellite.
Airbus Helicopters will have an H175M helicopter on static display, and the new type is being offered as a 'super-medium' class aircraft suited for longer-range missions and many support roles. On the opening day of the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, Gloucestershire, on July 15, Airbus Helicopters announced the first members of the H175M Task Force – a UK-based industry team created to offer, supply, and support the British-produced H175M helicopter for the UK's New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement. The H175M Task Force comprises Babcock International, Martin-Baker, Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) and Spirit AeroSystems.
Airbus Helicopters will also display an H135 in a law enforcement configuration and a full-scale H145M mock-up at FIA. Also on display are scale models of CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL and the VSR700 multi-mission naval Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), currently under development.
Embraer Showcases Growing Portfolio
Brazilian airframer Embraer is also putting on a strong show at FIA and unveiled a full-size cabin of its all-new 'Eve' (eVTOL) aircraft prior to the inaugural show day. The full-size Eve eVTOL cabin is making its global reveal at FIA. It has also brought its E195-E2 and E190-E2 medium-range jet airliners, KC-390 military transport/tanker aircraft and A-29 light attack aircraft to the show. Embraer will fly both E2s, the KC-390 and the A-29 aircraft at the show on a 39.06 % sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend.
Embraer and Pratt & Whitney successfully tested a GTF-powered E195-E2 aircraft on 100% SAF in June. Over the course of the flight test, one engine was kept running on 100% SAF. This validated that the GTF engines and the E-Jets E2 family could fly on both engines with blends of up 100% SAF without compromising safety or performance.
Rodrigo Silva e Souza, Vice President - Strategy and sustainability, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said that the test demonstrated that the E2 was ready for 100% SAF certification and operation once the industry had finalised standards. All Pratt & Whitney engines and Embraer aircraft are currently certified to operate with SAF blended up to 50% with standard Jet A/A1 kerosene. Embraer aircraft are operated on commercial services in India by the regional airline Star Air, which has a fleet of 50-seater ERJ-145s aircraft. Star Air is the sole commercial airline operator of Embraer aircraft in the country.
Dassault Systèmes Focusses on 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
Dassault Systèmes will host live presentations using the Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform and outline the latest trends and insights from leading Aerospace and Defence companies over the course of the week. In an interview posted on the FIA blog page before the show, David Ziegler, Vice President, Aerospace and Defence at Dassault Systèmes responded to a question on aerospace and defence industry requirements by stating, 'Analysing what our customers are looking for over the new few years, we've noticed there is a very short‐term focus on all the various manufacturing aspects of producing an airplane. How to manage the supply chain is a very big topic in commercial aviation at present. We had seen a big drop in demand due to the pandemic ‐ but now we're witnessing a reversal in this trend as commercial aviation demand bends up again. The production rate at Airbus for example is due to double over the next three years, which is a post‐pandemic growth rate that commercial aviation was not expecting. This in turn is putting a lot of stress on the supply chain, with the most obviously affected being Tier-1&2 in Europe.' At FIA, Dassault Systèmes focuses on sustainable aviation, agile manufacturing, defence modernisation, new space and Uuskilling the workforce.