06 August 2024
Farnborough International Airshow 2024
More than 74,000 trade visitors and 1,200 exhibitors attended the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024, with the sunshine a welcome guest throughout the five-day show. Sustainability, innovation and the future of flight were high on the agenda, along with space, defence and the changing face of the aerospace workforce.
Boeing started the event with a flurry of deal announcements, but Airbus beat its main rival on the final day, securing two sizable deals.
A total of 286 commercial aircraft orders totalling GBP81.5 billion were announced during this year’s show.
Sustainability was once again a key topic, with progress announced on hydrogen-powered planes, hybrid-electric and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), plus a range of Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) mock-ups presented.
Order rundown
A total of 286 commercial aircraft were ordered during this year’s Farnborough Airshow, a notably smaller figure than the 400+ orders recorded at the Dubai Airshow 2023.
Much of the focus was on the Airbus and Boeing order books, with Airbus turning the tables following the Dubai outcome to outshine its main rival once again. In total, Airbus secured 164 orders and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for its aircraft, ranging from the Airbus A320neo aircraft family to the Airbus A321XLR. Among these was the VietJet Airbus A330neo order for 20 aircraft — a deal worth USD7.4 billion.
Boeing orders at Farnborough 2024 totalled 118, including 96 firm orders and 22 options from airlines and lessors. The Korean Air Boeing order of 20 Boeing 777-9s was a significant boost for the manufacturer’s much-delayed widebody programme. Korean Air also committed to order 20 787-10s with options for ten more.
Just as Boeing looked set to come top in the Farnborough Airshow deals, on the final trading day, Airbus announced two more deals. Among them was the largest commitment signed during the week’s trading, with Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier Flynas, agreeing on an MoU for 75 A320neo family aircraft and 15 of the widebody A330-900. According to Airbus, the airline will operate the A330s in a two-class configuration, accommodating up to 400 passengers1.
ATR and De Havilland Canada, as well as the hydrogen-focused startup ZeroAvia, also secured orders and agreements at this year’s show. No commercial orders were confirmed for Embraer.
Meanwhile, aircraft engine manufacturers were active at the event, securing more than 1,000 orders for their products. Commitments came from airlines like Korean Air, Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines, among others.
There was no sign of the new COMAC C919 at Farnborough, COMAC’s first entry into the key single-aisle medium-range aircraft segment. To date, the C919 has only been certified for use in China, and production remains low-scale.
Deutsche Aircraft has also unveiled plenty of news at the event, with the company, which is planning to introduce a new-generation turboprop aircraft, stating that it has begun constructing its first test aircraft, called the TAC 1.
Final order numbers
Supply woes
Ongoing delivery delays across the industry were also in focus, as supply chain issues, worker turnover and other market turbulence continue to plague the aerospace industry years after the Covid pandemic. The event saw a range of initiatives aimed at addressing the current issues and driving future growth.
Flying towards net zero
A key theme running through the 2024 Farnborough Airshow was sustainability. Airbus announced its investment in producer of sustainable fuels technology LanzaJet focused on the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The European manufacturer also announced a partnership with aircraft lessor Avolon to explore the potential of hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Boeing and Clear Sky, also announced a partnership to invest in the development of UK based Firefly’s Green Fuels project to help decarbonize aviation by transforming sewage into SAF using new technology.
The Global Urban Advanced Air Summit also took place on the fourth day of the airshow, which saw a range of speakers deliver presentations on the subject of advanced air mobility (AAM). The objective of AAM is to move people and cargo between places more effectively and efficiently by integrating new aircraft designs and flight technologies into existing and modified airspace operations. Most AAM vehicles have all-electric or hybrid electric power systems, and there is some exploration into hydrogen-powered planes.
eVTOL designs were one of the most talked-about AAM vehicles at the 2024 Farnborough Airshow. Several eVTOL manufacturers were present at the airshow, including Vertical Aerospace, Hyundai's air taxi division Supernal, Joby Aviation, VÆRIDION and Lilium, which last week signed a sales agreement with Saudia for 50 of its vertical take-off electric jets with an option to buy 50 more. Spanish developer Crisalion was also present showcasing its Integrity eVTOL model. The Spanish developer announced a partnership with Dubai-based business aviation operator Air Chateau, with the airline pre-ordering ten Integrity eVTOLs, taking the manufacturer’s order book to 125 aircraft3.
The AAM industry continues to gather momentum and Farnborough showcased this well. While no eVTOLs took flight at Farnborough, there were several eVTOLs aircraft, models and full-size mock-ups on display. With the certification and prototype flight testing of a number of these aircraft advancing rapidly, live demonstration flights at the 2025 Paris or Dubai Airshow’s looks increasingly more likely.
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