Aviation

Six airBaltic Airbus A220s grounded due to lack of spare parts

According to the airline’s CEO, six of airBaltic’s Airbus A220 aircraft are grounded owing to a lack of spare components.

According to the airline’s CEO, six of airBaltic‘s Airbus A220 aircraft are grounded owing to a lack of spare components. There are 36 Airbus A220-300 aircraft in the Latvian carrier’s fleet, but not all of them are now operational, Martin Gauss said in a message to customers apologizing for recent delays.

Six of our aircraft are presently forced to stay on the ground due to global supply chain concerns, according to Gauss, because we are lacking replacement parts for routine maintenance. He characterized it as “extremely unusual” since some of the grounded aircraft had been idle for six months.

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In its first-half financial report on July 28, 2022, French aerospace company Safran reported that the recovery in air travel in 2022 has led to an increase in demand for spare aeroplane components, but supply chain concerns are preventing efforts to ramp up production. Olivier Andriès, the company’s chief executive, told analysts that he believes the supply chain problems will likely last until 2023, possibly even into 2023. AirBaltic is wet leasing jets from other airlines, such as the national carrier of Ukraine, UIA, to make up for the grounded aircraft.

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According to Gauss, there isn’t enough staff at airports to handle baggage loading, staff the gates, or work the security checks. Because of this, even though we arrive at these airports with you on schedule in the morning, our return flights are delayed, which causes delays for ensuing flights as well. Things were soon going to be back to normal. “European airports should be better prepared to handle the situation after summer is done and we have decreased our flight schedule for the winter season.”

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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.