2018 Farnborough International Air Show

Today is the day that the 2018 edition of the Farnborough International Air Show opens its doors to the public. Stay tuned to aviation related news coming out of the show in this thread.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s newest clean-sheet model, the class-leading Gulfstream G600, made its first appearance at the Farnborough International Airshow on display from ( July 16–22) in Farnborough, England. The G600 joins the all-new Gulfstream G500, the four-living-area flagship Gulfstream G650ER and the super mid-size Gulfstream G280.

More than 225 Gulfstream aircraft are based in Europe, with the London area and its vibrant financial district having the highest volume of Gulfstream traffic in the region. "Our European fleet has grown by more than 15 percent since 2013,"said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. "The region continues to be one of our strongest international markets, as evidenced by the investments we’ve made there, including appointing a dedicated regional senior vice president of Sales and planning a new company-owned European service center. We are committed to the region and look forward to showcasing our two newest products, the G500 and G600, as well as the G650ER and G280, in the heart of the United Kingdom."

The UK has unveiled its newest fighter at the Farnborough International Air Show. This plane dubbed the 'Tempest' will be replacing the Typhoon and what is interesting is, the UK's Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said the jet could be used with either pilots or as a drone depending on the circumstances. The main and major players involved in bringing this next jet fight to market will be BAE Systems, Leonardo and Rolls Royce. As for a timeline, they are saying 2035 and the UK will be investing 2 billion pounds into the project.

Just before the official start of the Farnborough International Airshow many of the aircraft that are conducting displays were practicing their routines. Here is a glimpse of the Antonov AN-178 going through its paces.

Airbus got the first day of the Farnborough International Air Show kicked off with a number of orders made specifically for their A350 and A320 family of aircraft. Some 165Airbus planes were ordered yesterday totaling in the region of 20 billion pounds. An unnamed lessor is said to have ordered 80 airplanes worth 6 billion pounds. The European company can definitely say they had a great first day on the 16th of July!

Noted engine manufacturer Rolls Royce unveiled its plans for an Air Taxi that can come to market by the 2020's at the ongoing Farnborough International Air Show in England. It is dubbed as a hybrid electric vehicle with ambitions of flying up to five people on a 500 nautical mile range at speeds as fast as 200 mph. The air taxi segment even with hybrid propulsion is becoming an increasingly crowded space as players look to take a piece of the potential future market. "In this market, you will see something like this flying within three to five years, and we will demonstrate the system in two years," said Rob Watson, head of Rolls-Royce's electrical team.

American aerospace giant Boeing also had a decent time on the opening day of the show yesterday. They had multiple orders coming in as well and gained a 777 freighter deal from DHL. It is estimated that the 14 777s will cost around 3.6 billion pounds. They also ordered on purchase rights for 7 options of the same type.

Vietjet signs for 100 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This is on top of the 100 they currently have on order which was made back in 2016 for the same type. The new MoU will be worth in the region of 12.7 billion dollars at the list prices of each MAX variant. They airline has broken down the order into 80 Max 10's and 20 Max 8's.

Shark face painted Embraer E190-E2 on flight demonstration at Farnborough.

Seems like Brazilian carrier GOL ordered more planes from Boeing. More MAX aircraft are in the works for the airline. It appears that they converted 30 MAX to the largest MAX 10 variant as well as made an order for 15 more of the MAX 8 so this brings the total new orders for MAX planes to 135. "This new order aligns with our strategic policy of reducing operating costs by operating a standardized fleet. We are confident that the 737 MAX 10 will offer significant competitive advantages for GOL and enable us to continue to modernize with new aircraft. This airplane will allow us to continue lowering the cost of air travel across Brazil, as well as support a larger network, allowing us to add new destinations," said Paulo Kakinoff, Chief Executive Officer of GOL. "We look forward to flying the MAX and taking advantage of its efficiency and improved passenger comfort."

Boeing has clearly won the order tally against its main rival Airbus at the 2018 Farnborough International Air Show. U.S.-based Boeing announced a total of 673 orders and commitments for planes. Airbus said it received orders and commitments for 431 aircraft.

Announced at the 2018 Farnborough International Air Show, Rolls Royce has secured certification for the TRENT 7000 powerplant. This is the powerplant to run the Airbus A330neo in its 800 and 900 variants. The certification came from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and was presented at the show. Production engines already are at the final assembly plant in Toulouse, France.

Some footage from the major aircraft displays during the commercial end of the Farnborough International Air Show.