TOULOUSE, France -- Airbus recorded orders for 57 aircraft in the month of April. British Airways ordered three A320neos and two A321neos. Japan Airlines ordered one A350-900. An undisclosed customer ordered 51 A321neos.

Airbus delivered a total of 61 aircraft during April. This total included three A220-300s, 22 A320neos, 29 A321neos, one A330-900, and six A350-900s.

In the first four months of 2024, Airbus garnered 227 orders. Net orders for the period totaled 222, due to five cancellations. Airbus delivered 203 aircraft in the first four months of 2024.

As of April 30, 2024, Airbus had unfilled orders for 8,617 aircraft. The unfilled orders broken down by aircraft type were as follows: 585 for the A220, two for the A319ceo, 45 for the A319neo, four for the A320ceo, 2,134 for the A320neo, 4,992 for the A321neo, 175 for the A330, and 680 for the A350.

The order backlog at the end of April 2024 represents a decrease compared to the backlog at the end of March 2024, which had totaled 8,626. Both figures are increases compared to the company's yearend-2023 order backlog of 8,598.

Source: Airbus

SINGAPORE -- Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, has begun revenue flights with its first Embraer E190-E2. The first aircraft, named Explorer 3.0, departed Singapore's Changi Airport, bound for Krabi, Thailand.

"We would like to congratulate Scoot on this momentous occasion," said Martyn Holmes, Chief Commercial Officer of Embraer Commercial Aviation. "We are proud to see the modern and fuel-efficient E2 aircraft grace the skies over Singapore and Southeast Asia, and would like to thank all the involved stakeholders who worked tirelessly to make this possible."

The operation of Explorer 3.0 will involve an increase in the frequency of Scoot's flights to Krabi and Hat Yai from seven times weekly to 10 times weekly for both destinations.

Scoot's second E190-E2 arrived in Singapore in late April, and is to begin revenue flights soon.

Source: Embraer

BEIJING - China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) is scaling up production of its C919 narrowbody jet with a factory expansion in Shanghai. The announcement comes as COMAC aims to meet rising domestic demand and compete more effectively in the global commercial aircraft market.

The expansion details were revealed by AVIC-CAPDI, a state-owned aviation construction services provider. According to AVIC-CAPDI, their recent bid win pertains to the project's second phase, encompassing a 330,000-square-meter facility in Pudong, Shanghai. The new complex will include an assembly plant, parts warehouse, and dedicated tarmac space.

While specifics regarding the project's first phase are yet to be disclosed, the focus on assembly, warehousing, and ground operations suggests a comprehensive approach to streamlining C919 production.

The move highlights China's growing ambitions in the commercial aviation sector. COMAC's C919 is a direct competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 narrowbody families.

Source: Reuters
Associated URL: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/chinas-comac-expand-shanghai-c919-plane-factory-orders-grow-2024-05-07/