FARNBOROUGH – Starting the 2022 Farnborough Airshow by savagely biting its competitors, the latest of the ‘Profit Hunter’ demonstrator aircraft showed its performance to journalists and invited guests during a demo flight today.
Briefing the press before the departure, Francisco Gomes Neto, CEO of Embraer, welcomed the attendees to the event, commenting on the challenges the company has faced in the last four years. In 2019, Embraer and Boeing agreed to establish a commercial joint venture, which failed to come to fruition after Boeing terminated the deal in April 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For us at Embraer, it has been years of reinvention. We reintegrated our commercial aviation business and put in place a new strategy. We are more efficient and fit for growth,” Gomes Neto said. “We are very confident about the future, as we do believe that the combination of innovation, enterprise efficiency, and our fantastic people is very powerful, and it will make us grow sustainably,” the CEO concluded.
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Luis Carlos Affonso, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Embraer, revealed the company’s future product lineup roadmap. In addition, the Executive hinted that its long-rumored NG Turboprop regional airline, intended to compete in the 70-90 seat market, would enter into service by 2026.
The aircraft would be the first of the company to operate on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Last June, The airframer and Pratt & Whitney successfully carried out in Florida a brief test program on 100% SAF on one of the PW GTF engines of an Embraer E195-E2.
According to Embraer, the test confirmed using up to 100% SAF blends without performance limitations or safety issues. However, a Pratt & Whitney officer commented that the certification of such blends would not be immediate.
The efforts of Embraer in developing a SAF ecosystem were also under the spotlight after signing a Letter of Intent with Brazilian bioenergy Raízen in which both companies set forth the basis to use Raízen SAF on Embraer aircraft.
.“As the largest sugarcane ethanol producer in the world, it is only natural that we are looking at a possible supply of SAF. This partnership with Embraer, a global reference, reinforces the sustainability agenda and expansion of the company’s portfolio,” said Antonio Cardoso, Vice President of Marketing and Services, Raízen.
Since the launch of the EJets-E2 program, Embraer has released a series of aircraft depicting nature predators adorning the nose of its aircraft. Earlier this year, the company revealed the latest iteration of this series, an Embraer E190-E2 (2-RLET · LN 19020015) that premiered earlier this year at the Singapore Airshow. In addition, a second aircraft, an E195-E2 featuring the ‘Tech Lion’ Profit Hunter (PR-ZIQ · LN 19020041), has also been brought to the show for static display.
The demo aircraft had a single class cabin configuration, with 110 Collins Aerospace Pinnacle Economy seats upholstered in red and blue leather, arranged at 32 inches of seat pitch. Also, among the improvements made to the cabin compared to the previous generation is the redesign of the overhead bins, which now offer more headroom for passengers while creating more capacity for carry-on baggage.
The flight, commanded by Captain Rafael Aguiar, pushed back from its stand at 10:22 local time. After a rather lengthy taxi, due to incoming traffic, the flight departed from runway 24 at 10:48. After a steep climb, the aircraft reached a cruise altitude of 15,000ft, offering stunning views of a sunny day over the southwest of England. After passing abeam Southampton and crossing over the Isle of Wight, it began a soft, gradual descent for landing back in Farnborough 56 minutes after takeoff.
The consensus among journalists was the quietness of the cabin. Audio levels ranged from 63 to 75 dB during the cruise phase as per the measurements we took in different sections of the cabin.
The manufacturer has come to the 2022 Farnborough Airshow to mark its territory, and the demonstration flight proved that it has the proper metal to do it. In its most recent Market Outlook, Embraer foresees demand for 8,600 aircraft in the segment of up to 150 seats for the next 20 years. Hopefully, the coming days will be fruitful for the company in terms of new orders.
Featured Image: Kochan Kleps/Airways
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Original Article: GE Aviation Secures Lufthansa Engine Order for 777 Aircraft
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Airshows
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GE Aviation Secures Lufthansa Engine Order for 777 Aircraft
FARNBOROUGH – The Lufthansa Group (LH) announced at FIA2022 an order for a combined total of 18 GE9X and GE90 engines to power its fleet of long-haul Boeing 777 freight aircraft.
To improve its cargo fleet, LH had recently announced the acquisition of Boeing 777 Freighters and Boeing 777-8 Freighters powered by GE9X and GE90, respectively. Four GE90 engines and 14 GE9X engines are included in the new engine order.
The GE9X is both the quietest GE engine ever made and the most powerful commercial aircraft engine in terms of pounds of thrust per decibel. When compared to the GE90-115B, the engine will reduce fuel usage by up to 10% specifically.
In addition, both the GE9X and GE90 are compatible with any authorized sustainable aviation fuel, much like all GE commercial engines.
Photo: Nick Sheeder/Airways
Comments from Lufthansa Group, GE
“We continue investing in more fuel-efficient, quieter, and more economical aircraft and engines that emit significantly less CO2,” said Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo. “This purchase of GE engines enables us to drive our fleet modernization with premium products that enable increased operating efficiencies, as well as lower our fuel burn and reduce carbon emissions.”
“GE has a great history and proven track record of powering freighter-dedicated aircraft,” said Russell Stokes, President, and CEO, Commercial Engines and Services for GE. “We are proud to continue building our relationship with Lufthansa as they continue to modernize their fleet for cargo operations.”
GE is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components, and integrated systems for commercial, military, business, and general aviation aircraft. IHI Corporation, Safran Aircraft Engines, Safran Aero Boosters, and MTU Aero Engines AG are participants in the GE9X engine program.
Featured Photo: GE Aviation
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