Through a press release, U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced part of its agenda for the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow, which will take place between July 18th and 22th. According to the company, its presence will be focused on «newest jets and advances in sustainable and autonomous aviation».
The company’s main challenge will be to attract and formalize agreements with new customers, in a context of growing competition with its main rival, the European company Airbus, in some of the world’s markets with the best growth projections in a context of recovery in air travel demand and the industry activity in general.
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Commercial aircraft
The Boeing 737 MAX 10, the largest 737 family aircraft ever built, will be on display at the Farnborough Air Show between July 18th and 21th. The model, which has already received more than 600 formal orders from different operators, is suffering schedule delays due to changing certification rules imposed by the Federal Civil Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Congress of the United States.
However, Boeing claims that the MAX 10 already has the factory changes required by regulatory authorities that were previously implemented to make the MAX 8 safer. According to the company, the addition of a new system would delay further the project and make the aircraft, along with the MAX 7 (which is also not yet certified), different from the MAX 8 and MAX 9 already in operation around the world. The situation would add complications for airlines.
On the other hand, the 777-9 will be present at the event between July 18th and 20th. Although it is not yet operating commercially, it is going through the certification process. Its development is based on previous 777 models and implements 787 Dreamliner technologies. Boeing has already received more than 340 orders for its new long-range wide-body aircraft.
Both aircraft will use a blend of traditional and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on their show flights.
Defense and space
Boeing will highlight its large-capacity military helicopters at Farnborough: it will showcase the CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache. It will also exhibit the P-8A Poseidon, E-7 Wedgetail and KC-46A Pegasus surveillance aircraft.
In addition, it will advertise some of its most innovative digital solutions, such as the T-7A Red Hawk training aircraft. FA-18E/F, F-15E, P-8A, AH-64E and CH-47F are also expected to be on display in the U.S. Department of Defense stand.
Additionally, Boeing will showcase other autonomous solutions at Farnborough, including the MQ-25 aerial refueling drone and the Airpower Teaming System (ATS) aircraft.
Sustainability
Wisk Aero, created in 2019 as a partnership between the manufacturer and the company Kitty Hawk, will present its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for the first time in Europe. The prototype, called «Cora», was developed to operate without pilots. It is a breakthrough in autonomous aviation capabilities, the company noted.
On the other hand, it will present a modeling tool that will provide practical information on strategies the industry can implement to reach the goal of 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 plays», said Michael Arthur, President of Boeing International. «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», he added.
