Farnborough International Airshow 2022

The latest Farnborough International Airshow was held in the UK in late July. Normally running every two years, this was the first event since 2018, with the 2020 event called off due to COVID. With four years to wait, expectations were high. There were few big surprises, but the show reaffirmed the current state of the industry.

This article looks at the main themes and events in the commercial aviation sector.

Sales lower than in previous years

Farnborough is essentially a trade show for the aviation industry. As such, new aircraft sales and orders are an important part of the week. Aircraft orders were significantly down from previous years. This year, the total orders and commitments for new aircraft were 511 compared to 1,464 in 2018.

Slow sales are not really a surprise. The industry remains in a challenging situation, with ongoing disruption, global conflict, changing passenger demographics, and rising prices globally. The future is hopefully good, but it remains uncertain, and this does not encourage major investment. Also, most airlines are not in a solid financial position after a long period of almost no travel.

In addition, most significant deals and changes to airline fleets take time to plan. With business for many airlines only strengthening in 2022, it is still early for major changes to be announced.

Of the major manufacturers, it’s fair to say that Boeing had a much better show than Airbus. Boeing received 203 firm aircraft orders and 80 commitments. Airbus received just 29 aircraft orders.

The smaller manufacturers, Embraer and ATR, both announced more sales than Airbus. Embraer did particularly well, with 41 orders for E-Jet aircraft. It also announced over 250 letters of intent for its new turboprop aircraft. Business jet manufacturers Dassault, Gulfstream, and Cessna (via Textron) were also present, but they do not generally report sales.

Aviation Guides

Mainly sales for narrowbody aircraft

The type of aircraft sold also re-affirms the industry’s current state. Almost all interest was in narrowbody aircraft. There are many outstanding widebody orders (particularly with Boeing and delays to the 777X and 787 programs), and long-haul travel remains much more uncertain than short-haul. The only confirmed widebody order was for five Boeing 787 aircraft from AerCap. Azerbaijan Airlines signed a letter of intent for four.

The biggest deal announced at the show was from Delta Air Lines. It will purchase 100 737 MAX 10 aircraft (with options for 30 more). This is particularly encouraging for Boeing, as it currently faces uncertainty over the MAX 10. If aircraft certification runs into next year (which is looking likely), it may have to make cockpit modifications to meet new regulations. This will affect commonality with 737 variants – not good news for anyone.

There were also smaller 737 MAX 10 orders from Qatar Airways, Aviation Capital Group, and 777 partners, as well as orders for MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft. All Airbus’ orders were for narrowbodies – the A220 and A320neo.

New aircraft unveiled

The other thing that air shows are known for is the release of new aircraft – either proposals or flying demonstrations. This year, Boing led the way here, bringing two aircraft that are still undergoing tests and are not yet in commercial operation. Embraer also demonstrated its E190-E2 prototype aircraft. Airbus had the A350-900 in the air, but nothing new.

Boeing unveiled the new 777X (Boeing 777-9) for its first appearance in the UK. This latest member of the long-running Boeing 777 family is the largest twin-engine jet ever. It pushes capacity almost up to that of the 747 it replaces and marks a new direction for large aircraft.

Boeing also brought its latest narrowbody, the 737 MAX 10. This is the largest member of the 737 family so far, adding two extra rows over the MAX 9.

For business aviation, Gulfstream brought its latest G800 aircraft prototype – just a few weeks after it took its first flight. The G800 will be Gulfstream’s longest range jet (at 8,000 nautical miles) and is expected to enter service in late 2023.

Efficiency all the way

A main theme running through the show was aircraft efficiency. This has been a leading driver in the development of the new aircraft being announced, and almost all airlines referred to this as part of their order announcements.
The new aircraft displayed showed well the continued development in that area. Both the 737 MAX 10 and the 777X will be the most efficient members of their series yet.

The 777X in particular promises a lot. Its design is based on efficient operation. Just as Concorde introduced new engineering techniques for fast and high-altitude flight, the 777X does the same for efficiency. It uses just two engines – with the era of heavy and fuel-guzzling four-engine aircraft over. These GE9X engines are the largest commercial engines ever built. Larger means more efficient, but engineers have had to balance this with increased weight. It also increases the wingspan for more efficient flights and counters the problems operating at many airports by introducing folding wingtips.

On the ground, too, plenty of technical representation and exhibits focused on efficiency. Rolls-Royce, for example, was keen to demonstrate its new UltraFan engine. This is being positioned as an option for the 2030s, and beyond, with 100% SAF use possible and an incredible 25% efficiency improvement over the current Rolls-Royce Trent engines.

Electric propulsion on the way

There is a lot of discussion these days about the next generation of propulsion. Hydrogen offers great potential (particularly for large aircraft and long-range operations), but is a long way off. Electric propulsion is closer. Development is well underway, and this was demonstrated at the show.

Several companies showed prototypes of electric aircraft. The eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicle is a popular concept at the moment. These are visioned as “air taxis” taking passengers on short flights. Discussion and updates looked not just at the technical progress but also at the important considerations underway for practical operations, base locations, and usage laws and policies.

Final Thoughts

Farnborough is one of the largest get-togethers of the aviation industry, and its return after four years was much anticipated. Sales were down significantly, but that shouldn’t be a surprise. What many will take away from the show is a reminder of the firm commitments to future development. New aircraft and new technologies are well on the way to meeting the industry’s expectations in terms of needs and efficient commitments as we advance.

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