Flight International - 10 April 2018

AIR TRANSPORT

fiightglobal.com 10-16 April 2018 | Flight International | 15

More than simply a

Boeing support act

News Focus P

I

ndian carrier Jet Airways has fi-

nalised a deal to buy an addi-

tional 75 Boeing 737 Max aircraft,

confirming the move in a brief

stock exchange disclosure.

The commitment is in addi-

tion to a previous order for a sim-

ilar number of 737 Max 8s – a

mix of firm orders and purchase

rights – announced at the Dubai

air show in 2015. The airline has

provided no details about which

variant will be acquired under

the follow-on deal.

Flight Fleets Analyzer indi-

cates that orders for 21 of Jet Air-

ways’ 737-8s were cancelled at

the end of 2017. Boeing’s orders

and deliveries data shows that at

the end of February the carrier’s

outstanding commitment for the

model stood at 54 aircraft.

Jet Airways chief executive

Vinay Dube had been looking to

complete a deal for 75 additional

narrowbody aircraft by the end of

March. “It will be for the next five

years, so 2018 to 2023, to take de-

livery of all 150 aircraft. The first

Max aircraft will be delivered in

2018,” he said at the Dubai air

show last November.

Fleets Analyzer shows that Jet

Airways currently operates 72

737-800s, four -700s, four

-900ERs and two -900s. ■

C

omac’s ARJ21 regional jet has

completed crosswind valida-

tion testing in Iceland aimed at

widening its operational scope.

China’s ministry of industry

and information technology says

aircraft 104 completed the testing

on 26 March at Keflavik Interna-

tional airport.

The test activity involved six

take-offs and landings, under av-

erage crosswind conditions of

38.4kt (71km/h) and 34.9kt, re-

spectively. The maximum veri-

fied crosswind was 48.7kt, ex-

ceeding the design target.

The Civil Aviation Administra-

tion of China had previously vali-

dated the aircraft at up to 22kt

during testing in China.

Comac has so far secured com-

mitments for 453 ARJ21s, but

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that

so far only four of the regional

twinjets are in service, all with

Chengdu Airlines. ■

DELIVERY

Max 8 arrival boosts Kazakh aviation

Kazakh carrier SCAT has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737

Max 8, one of six being introduced by the Central Asian airline.

Online tracking sites indicate that the -8 flew its first domestic ser-

vices from Astana in early April. The re-engined narrowbody will

“raise the level of service in the company”, says SCAT president

Vladimir Denisov, and also provide “new impetus” to Kazakh civil

aviation development. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows the carrier as

already operating seven 737-300/500/700s aged between 10 and

26 years. It has purchase rights on another five 737-8s.

Boeing

FLEET AARON CHONG SINGAPORE

737 backlog rises

with Jet follow-on

Further 75 re-engined examples to bolster Indian carrier’s

operations, with deliveries planned for completion by 2023

VALIDATION FIRDAUS HASHIM SINGAPORE

ARJ21 testing a breeze

AirTeamImages

Twinjet completed tests

exceeding its design target

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