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12437
Mon, 07/14/2008 - 11:53
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http://m.oananews.org//node/12437
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Green future red-hot topic at Farnborough air show
Sudipt Arora Farnborough (Britain), July 14 (PTI) As airlines around the world park older and less efficient aircraft, manufacturers are banking on greater demand for those whichoffer greater fuel efficiency on per-seat basis.
So at this year's big international air show inFarnborough, green is the theme in more ways than usual.
Nearly 1.5 lakh aerospace executives get together every summer for the mammoth exhibition that alternates between thiscity near London and the better-known Paris Air Show.
Boeing will be exhibiting a small, two-seat plane that made aviation history earlier this year with the first mannedflight powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
"With crude oil at over 145 dollars a barrel, there's a lot of interest in what the path forward is for our airline customers," said a spokesman for the Chicago-based aerospace giant. "The focus is on technologies regarding environmental performance and fuel efficiency." At the show, part of that effort will include a quarterly update on Boeing's new fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner, which is running 14 months behind production schedule. It is now set for its first flight late this year with first deliveries tocustomers next year.
Air India has placed order for 27 of them. Boeing will also display a new, fuel-efficient Boeing 777-300ER (extendedrange) with Air India livery.
In 2006, the Farnborough Air Show hosted over 270,000 visitors and had resulted in a total of 42 billion dollars worth of orders -- with Airbus and Boeing being the mainbeneficiaries -- according to official figures.
But with airlines reeling from soaring oil prices, aviation experts say, there will be less appetite for planes and more concerns about the environment and fuel efficiency atthis year's show being held from July 14 to 20.
"Airlines are still very interested in replacing their old, inefficient planes with newer ones," said a spokesman for Airbus SAS, Boeing's European arch rival. "There will be some orders done at the show, but I would not expect them to be as active as in the past three years." While the European Union recently decided airlines must participate in a carbon dioxide emission reduction plan, global warming is not expected to be the only hot topic atFarnborough.
As airlines dump gas guzzlers, the Montreal-based Bombardier is banking on raising jets' passenger capacity to shave fuel cost. It is expected to deliver its first 100-seatregional jet -- the CRJ-1000 next year.
Bombardier will also make a launch decision on its largest plane to date -- the C-series at the Farnborough AirShow with a 2013 delivery date slated.
The flying machine will offer even greater fuel savings than the 110-to-130-seat version. The company has also been looking at a high-density 145-seat version of the C-series with fuel-efficiency of 2.03 litres per passenger per 100kilometres.
Bombardier anticipates 6,300 aircraft will be ordered inthe 100-149 seat category over the next two decades.
In India, many airlines have started cutting flight frequencies especially on inviable routes to save on aviation fuel costs which are almost double of those in othercountries, due to high taxation.
In the United States, Continental and United have collectively grounded 137 of their older B737s and A320s afterfuel prices and waning demand no longer made them economical.
Air Canada has also decided to ground its larger gas-guzzling 767-200s months ahead of schedule, as it takes on more fuel-efficient Boeing 777s. The carrier is also awaiting deliveries of 37 new 787 Dreamliners on order which promise greater fuel-efficiency. PTI
So at this year's big international air show inFarnborough, green is the theme in more ways than usual.
Nearly 1.5 lakh aerospace executives get together every summer for the mammoth exhibition that alternates between thiscity near London and the better-known Paris Air Show.
Boeing will be exhibiting a small, two-seat plane that made aviation history earlier this year with the first mannedflight powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
"With crude oil at over 145 dollars a barrel, there's a lot of interest in what the path forward is for our airline customers," said a spokesman for the Chicago-based aerospace giant. "The focus is on technologies regarding environmental performance and fuel efficiency." At the show, part of that effort will include a quarterly update on Boeing's new fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner, which is running 14 months behind production schedule. It is now set for its first flight late this year with first deliveries tocustomers next year.
Air India has placed order for 27 of them. Boeing will also display a new, fuel-efficient Boeing 777-300ER (extendedrange) with Air India livery.
In 2006, the Farnborough Air Show hosted over 270,000 visitors and had resulted in a total of 42 billion dollars worth of orders -- with Airbus and Boeing being the mainbeneficiaries -- according to official figures.
But with airlines reeling from soaring oil prices, aviation experts say, there will be less appetite for planes and more concerns about the environment and fuel efficiency atthis year's show being held from July 14 to 20.
"Airlines are still very interested in replacing their old, inefficient planes with newer ones," said a spokesman for Airbus SAS, Boeing's European arch rival. "There will be some orders done at the show, but I would not expect them to be as active as in the past three years." While the European Union recently decided airlines must participate in a carbon dioxide emission reduction plan, global warming is not expected to be the only hot topic atFarnborough.
As airlines dump gas guzzlers, the Montreal-based Bombardier is banking on raising jets' passenger capacity to shave fuel cost. It is expected to deliver its first 100-seatregional jet -- the CRJ-1000 next year.
Bombardier will also make a launch decision on its largest plane to date -- the C-series at the Farnborough AirShow with a 2013 delivery date slated.
The flying machine will offer even greater fuel savings than the 110-to-130-seat version. The company has also been looking at a high-density 145-seat version of the C-series with fuel-efficiency of 2.03 litres per passenger per 100kilometres.
Bombardier anticipates 6,300 aircraft will be ordered inthe 100-149 seat category over the next two decades.
In India, many airlines have started cutting flight frequencies especially on inviable routes to save on aviation fuel costs which are almost double of those in othercountries, due to high taxation.
In the United States, Continental and United have collectively grounded 137 of their older B737s and A320s afterfuel prices and waning demand no longer made them economical.
Air Canada has also decided to ground its larger gas-guzzling 767-200s months ahead of schedule, as it takes on more fuel-efficient Boeing 777s. The carrier is also awaiting deliveries of 37 new 787 Dreamliners on order which promise greater fuel-efficiency. PTI
