Category: Aircraft & Engines

Aergo Capital (Aergo) has completed the acquisition of one 2013 Vintage Boeing B737-800 aircraft bearing manufacturers serial number 41789 from AerCap Ireland. The aircraft was sold with an existing operating lease to Chinese airline, Okay Airways. This transaction builds on Aergo’s already strong relationship with AerCap. Fred Browne, Chief Executive Officer of Aergo, commented: “This acquisition was made possible by the continuous and cooperative efforts of the teams at Aergo Capital and AerCap. With this transaction, Aergo has added one more lessee to its portfolio and we look forward to developing our partnership with Okay Airways.”

Airbus Helicopters has started in-flight tests on board its Flightlab, a platform-agnostic flying laboratory exclusively dedicated to maturing new technologies. Airbus Helicopters’ Flightlab provides an agile and efficient test bed to quickly test technologies that could later equip Airbus’ current helicopter range, and even more disruptive ones for future fixed-wing aircraft or (e)VTOL platforms. Airbus Helicopters intends to pursue the testing of hybrid and electric propulsion technologies with its Flightlab demonstrator, as well as exploring autonomy, and other technologies aimed at reducing helicopter sound levels or improving maintenance and flight safety.  Flight tests started last April when the demonstrator was Read more

Boeing and BBAM have announced that the lessor is expanding its 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter fleet with six firm orders and six options. The agreement brings BBAM’s 737-800BCF orders and commitments to 15 and highlights the continued strength of the e-commerce and express cargo market. Based on the Next-Generation 737, the 737-800BCF is meeting customer demand for a newer-generation freighter that offers higher reliability and lower fuel consumption and operating costs per trip. Primarily used to carry express cargo on domestic or short-haul routes, the airplane is capable of carrying up to 23.9 tons (52,800 pounds) and flying up to Read more

Rolls-Royce has successfully completed the first engine run on its state-of-the-art Testbed 80, which will be the largest and smartest indoor aerospace testbed when it is officially opened in the coming months. With an internal area of 7,500 m2, making it larger than a Premiership football pitch, the testbed conducted its first run on a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine at the test facility in Derby, U.K. This is a major milestone in the project which has been under construction for almost three years and represents a £90 million (US$122 million) investment. Testbed 80 has been designed to test a range Read more

All Nippon Helicopter’s (ANH) H160 has performed its first flight test, a 95-minute flight at the Marseille Provence Airport. This successful maiden flight paves the way for the aircraft’s entry into service in Japan. ANH deploys a helicopter fleet comprising six AS365s and five H135s for electronic news gathering for the TV stations across Japan. This H160 will replace one of its AS365s.  The H160 was granted its type certificate by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in July 2020, with the certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) expected in early 2021. Upon delivery of the helicopter, Read more

OE-LAT, the first of three Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, will leave the Austrian Airlines fleet in March. The long-haul jet was manufactured in 1991 and was in service with Austrian Airlines for around 20 years after the Lauda takeover in 2001. OE-LAT made its last passenger flight on January 10, 2021. Over the next few weeks, the aircraft will undergo all the necessary preparations for handover, with the transfer flight of the jet to the U.S.A. scheduled for early March. The two other B767s, OE-LAX and OE-LAW, are scheduled for phase-out by fall. Both long-haul aircraft will remain in service until Read more

Just six months after its first E2 order, Congo Airways has placed a firm order for two E195-E2 jets. This is in addition to its existing two-aircraft order for the smaller E190-E2. The four-aircraft deal has a total value of US$272 million at current list prices. This new firm order will be included in Embraer’s 2020 fourth-quarter backlog. The E195-E2 will be configured in a dual-class 120-seat layout, 12 in business, 108 in economy – an  additional 25% capacity when compared to the 96-seat configuration chosen by Congo Airways for its E190-E2s. The E2 deliveries are expected to begin in 2022 Read more

DHL Express has placed an order with Boeing for an additional eight new Boeing 777 freighters. The investment marks a further step in DHL Express’ expansion of its intercontinental air network to meet customer demand in fast-growing international express shipping markets. First deliveries are scheduled for 2022. DHL Express has already taken delivery of the first ten new B777F aircraft as part of an original order of 14 aircraft placed in 2018. These timely deliveries ensured that DHL was able to accommodate unprecedented customer demand during the peak shipping season last year. Boeing’s 2020 World Air Cargo Forecast anticipates significant Read more