Aviation

Air Corporate of Italy orders 43 Airbus helicopters at EBACE 2023

On the final day of EBACE 2023, the top Italian business aviation operator Air Corporate made a firm deal with Airbus for 43 helicopters.

The helicopters comprise three ACH160s from Airbus Corporate Helicopters in Line configuration with the Lounge package in addition to the two ACH160s currently on order, together with 40 single-engine H125/H130 helicopters.

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The contract is the largest commercial helicopter order booked by Airbus in Italy and will see the helicopters delivered over the coming years for a range of private and business passenger services as well as utility operations.

The latest announcement expands on 28 additional orders from Verona-based Air Corporate in recent years as part of an ongoing fleet expansion. In the past two years alone, Air Corporate has taken delivery of 17 Airbus helicopters, including the first of two twin-engine H135s.

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Airbus helicopters have been flying in Italy for 50 years and the company is a key player in the Italian helicopter market with 90 customers and a fleet of more than 240 helicopters in service.

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.