Latest news with #widebody
South China Morning Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's C929 widebody passenger jet to make maiden commercial flight by 2035: source
The company developing China's first home-grown widebody passenger jet – the C929 – is aiming to see it make its maiden commercial flight by 2035, foreign partners have been told at this week's Paris Air Show, according to a person familiar with the discussion. Advertisement The time frame, although longer than previous estimates, was in line with the 'long-haul' one that Boeing and Airbus used when developing their first widebodies and reflected Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (Comac) 'prudence' and emphasis on safety, the person, who requested anonymity, added. Comac told its partners this week that it expects the C929 – which is likely to resemble the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 series – to be certified in China by 2032. 'Currently we plan to achieve TC (type certificate) in 2032,' a senior Comac manager said during a presentation at the air show. 'The C929 has entered the detailed design phase ... this is our future. We would like to offer a new twin-aisle aircraft to our customers.' Advertisement The C919, Comac's first mainline narrowbody jet, went into commercial operation in China in May 2023, less than a year after it was certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in September 2022. The widebody C929 will carry up to 440 people and have a maximum range of 12,000km – roughly the distance from Shanghai to New York.
CNA
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Can't compete with other carriers' hardware, focusing on service: SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines Chairman Sarath Ganegoda speaks to CNA's Yasmin Jonkers on the sidelines of the IATA meeting in India's capital New Delhi as the carrier adds its first wide-body aircraft in seven years. He concedes financial difficulties while remaining hopeful the new government can help realise the company's growth ambitions.
Skift
09-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
IAG Looks Beyond Market Volatility with Massive Widebody Orders
IAG has its eyes on the long-game with more than 70 new widebody planes on the way. With deliveries not starting until 2028, there's plenty of time for the current turbulence to pass, or perhaps intensify. The parent company of British Airways and Iberia has ordered more than 70 new widebody aircraft. The total deal, announced by IAG on Friday morning, forms one of the largest plane orders of the year so far. European manufacturer Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing are splitting the spoils across two separate transactions. IAG has agreed to buy 32 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner jets, powered by General Electric engines. The airline group is also doubling down on its Airbus portfolio, with 21 A330-900 aircraft on the way. These will have Rolls-Royce engines. The Boeing planes are due to be operated by British Airways, while the Airbus models will likely be shared between Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Level. The split comes as no surprise, with BA already a well-established 787-10 operator, while the others already operate the previous generation A330 variant. This greatly simplifies the potential operational headaches of adding new aircraft into existing fleets and avoids the need for crew retraining. As part of the deal, IAG also has rights for up to 10 extra 787s and up to 13 additional A330neos. A Newly Disclosed Deal The company had a further surprise. Also on Friday, it revealed a previously undisclosed order for 18 more long-haul planes. This earlier deal comprises six A350-900s for Spanish flag carrier Iberia, as well as six A350-1000s and six Boeing 777-9s for British Airways. It brings the total – not including options – to 71 twin-aisle aircraft. All of the jets are due for delivery between 2028 and 2033. IAG says they will be used to replace older planes and grow the company's overall fleet. The order came as IAG published its first quarter results. The Anglo-Spanish company reported a profit with lower fuel costs and higher fares contributing towards the positive result. However, it wasn't all good news – IAG CEO Luis Gallego confirmed some softness in demand in the economy cabin among U.S. outbound travelers. This broadly echoed comments from the financial chief of Virgin Atlantic in late March. What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
