Aviation

Airbus Orders & Deliveries – March 2018

Airbus booked orders for eight A320 Family single-aisle jetliners in the NEO and CEO versions during March, while delivering 56 aircraft in the month from across the company’s in-production single-aisle and widebody product lines.

The new business involved six A320neo jetliners for an unidentified customer, and two A321ceo aircraft for Vietnam’s VietJetAir. Taking bookings and cancellations into account, net orders logged by Airbus during the first three months of 2018 totalled 45 aircraft.

Jetliners delivered by Airbus in March were received by 31 customers. They were led by the A320 Family, with 45 aircraft provided (including 14 A320neo versions). Deliveries of Airbus twin-engine widebodies were divided equally between the A350 XWB and A330, with the handover of five A350-900s and five A330s in the -200/-300 configurations. Also delivered during the month was an A380.

Based on the month’s orders and deliveries activity, Airbus’ overall backlog of jetliners remaining to be delivered as of March 31 totalled 7,189 aircraft, composed of 6,083 from the A320 Family, along with 695 A350s, 303 A330s and 108 A380s.

A300/A310	Single aisle	A330/A340/A350	A380	Total
Total orders	816	14157	2932	331	18236
Total deliveries	816	8074	1934	223	11047
Aircraft in operation	315	7722	1798	223	10058

Related Topics:A320 A330s A350s A380 airbus Airbus & Boeing

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.