Successes and failures at the Farnborough 2012
Last sunday ended aviation Salon "Farnborough 2012". A full report on the work of the exhibition has not yet been published, but some figures have already been named. So, during the week of the event, suppliers and customers signed agreements or reached a preliminary agreement on the supply of a total of 738 pieces of equipment. The total volume of contracts exceeded 72 billion dollars. This is not a record for Farnborough - in 2008 the total amount of contracts reached 88 billion, but still better than at the previous salon. The similar indicator of Farnborough 2010 was one and a half times less. In general, all this is not surprising, because the English salon has been held for more than a decade and is considered one of the most important aviation events in the world. Therefore, major manufacturers of aircraft are preparing various new products for this exhibition. Buyers, in turn, try to sign contracts at large salons: this has some element of advertising.
In terms of the number of vehicles sold, the record for the last salon is Boeing. 9 July representatives of this company signed a contract with the French company Air Lease Corporation. According to the document, in the coming years, the customer will receive 75 Boeing 737 aircraft. 60 of them will be made in the modification of MAX8, and the rest - in the version of MAX9. In addition, another 25 machines are subject to an option. It is noteworthy that Air Lease Corporation is the first leasing company that not only expressed its intentions regarding purchases of the updated 737-s, but also brought these intentions to a firm contract. The estimated cost of the planned delivery of the aircraft is estimated at 7,2 billion US dollars. The French leasing company, it should be noted, bypassed competitors for a few hours. Already on the tenth of July, the leasing division of General Electric Corporation signed a contract with Boeing. GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) was not the first to sign, but was surprised by the volume of purchases. For more than nine billion dollars, GECAS intends to get the 75 Boeing 737MAX8 and 25 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Total, 14 billion in two days. Very good numbers.
It is worth noting that the signing of such large contracts does not occur immediately. It is preceded by negotiations lasting for months. However, the cost of time is fully justified. This obvious truth is understandable to all world leaders in the aircraft industry. Therefore, Boeing’s competitors are also not idle. On July 10, its first contract for Farnborough-2012 was signed by Airbus. In accordance with it, in the coming years, Hong Kong air carrier Cathay Pacific will receive ten A350-1000 aircraft. In addition, the previous agreement with the Asian firm was slightly revised. So, from 36 planned for delivery A350-900 will be delivered only twenty. The remaining 16 aircraft will be built in the new configuration A350-1000. According to reports from Western news agencies, Airbus will receive at least four billion dollars under these contracts. Another three billion Airbus will earn on the supply of 28 A320 aircraft and eight A321. These aircraft will become the property of the Chinese company China Aircraft Leasing Company, as its leasing name implies. Finally, the American merchants from the CIT Group want to receive ten A330 liners and are ready to pay for them about two and a half billion dollars. Thus, Airbus received orders and supply arrangements for a total of about ten billion. Of course, this is less than that of a direct competitor in the face of Boeing, but the European concern still retains its first place in contracts and supplies, primarily due to the agreements signed earlier.
Much worse were "made" at Farnborough-2012 by domestic companies. So, of all orders, it is worth noting only the UTair contract for the supply of 20 Airbus A320 aircraft. Interestingly, this carrier for the first time showed its intention to buy European airliners - hitherto, from foreign aircraft, he preferred Boeing. As for the aircraft produced in Russia, the situation here is no better. Farnborough voiced several unpleasant for the domestic aviation industry News. At first, Armavia Airlines (Armenia) refused to continue purchasing SSJ-100 aircraft. Moreover, there are still no official comments. The only thing that is known is that the Armenian carrier wants to buy Airbuses or Boeings instead of Superjets. Due to the lack of specific information about the reasons, a variety of versions began to appear: from the poor financial situation of Armavia to any problems with the aircraft, because of which the airline does not intend to expand the fleet. In addition, the silence of the Armenian company may not affect the reputation of the entire SSJ-100 project in the best way. The fact is that it was Armavia that was the first to receive the serial Superjet and has the largest experience in its operation. Accordingly, in the eyes of potential customers, the refusal to continue purchasing may also look like a hint that you still should not contact the SSJ-100. Of course, there are already firm contracts for the supply of several dozen such airliners, but the situation does not get any nicer from this. Currently, a lot depends on advertising. I would like to hope for the prudence of potential Superjet customers.
Another bad news with Farnborough-2012 concerns the mid-range aircraft MS-21. Crecom Burj Bhd, one of the Malaysian companies, was one of the first to intend to buy these airliners. A contract was signed for the supply of fifty MS-21, but at the last show, representatives of this carrier for some reason announced that a firm supply contract is now "turning" into an option. The reasons for this decision were not voiced. And again a lot of assumptions appear, but this time, unsuccessful operating experience is not among them. If only because the first MS-21 will fly into the air only in the 2015 year. Perhaps, the Malaysians were not satisfied with the too long deadlines for the start of deliveries. Well, or, as they say about Armavia, they simply do not have money for 50 brand new airliners. Nevertheless, it is worth waiting for official information, if it is, of course, to be.
The English Air Show was much more successful for domestic military aviation. First of all, it is worth noting training aircraft Yak-130. The existence of this project for many years is not a secret, but at Farnborough 2012 it was first presented to the general public abroad. The purpose of this aircraft is to train pilots who will fly on fighters of the fourth and newer generations. The on-board electronics of this training aircraft makes it possible to imitate the characteristics of control and behavior in the air of several types of fighter aircraft, which greatly facilitates the training and habituation of a pilot to a particular aircraft. According to specialists, the Russian Air Force needs at least 250 of such vehicles. As for the world military aviation, its needs are about ten times more. Several contracts with foreign countries for the supply of Yak-130 have already been signed, however, not all of them can be executed right now. It is about Syria, which, in view of the internal situation, cannot yet be recognized as a reliable buyer who will fulfill all of its obligations under the contract. Earlier, deliveries of aircraft to Libya broke down - after the civil war and the regime change, the country's new authorities refused to buy training Yak-130. At the Farnborough-2012 air show, the new training aircraft was only, so to speak, announced. Therefore, any new agreements about it were not signed. At the same time, while it is possible to speculate on the topic of its prospects. It is quite possible that potential buyers of this aircraft do not yet have all the necessary information and are just about to initiate negotiations about future purchases.
As you can see, in economic terms, the last exhibition was ambiguous for the domestic aviation industry. Not deadly, but unpleasant. However, much more unpleasant events related to the salon, touched the pilots and officials. A few days before the start of the Farnborough 2012, it became known that Russian pilots from the Russian Knights group had problems with going to the salon. As it turned out, domestic officials "tried". They simply did not have time to issue all the necessary documents for the flight. In addition, a number of officials and merchants have had problems with documents. Some media, citing anonymous sources, wrote that the British side is delaying the issuance of visas. It was explained by certain attempts to take revenge on Russia for its position on the Syrian issue. One way or another, regardless of the reasons, the audience did not see the Russian team’s pilot program, and several dozen people received serious problems.
Summing up, you can make one simple and banal idea. The past Farnborough-2012 showroom turned out to be a typical event of its class. For some manufacturers of aviation technology, it was successful, for others it was not. Still others, in general, remained with their own: they did not receive any transcendental contracts and at the same time did not lose the existing ones. For the Russian companies "Farnborough-2012" was not particularly successful, but without any special failures. Of course, the troubles of the “Russian Knights”, the lost hard contract and other events clearly do not contribute to optimism. However, do not forget another trivial thing: aviation exhibitions are only a showcase for the aviation industry. Major events and work are carried out "behind the scenes" and it is on them that special emphasis should be placed. Only in this case good news about the next contract for the supply of dozens of domestically produced airplanes will come from the next cabin, in the UK or in France.
In terms of the number of vehicles sold, the record for the last salon is Boeing. 9 July representatives of this company signed a contract with the French company Air Lease Corporation. According to the document, in the coming years, the customer will receive 75 Boeing 737 aircraft. 60 of them will be made in the modification of MAX8, and the rest - in the version of MAX9. In addition, another 25 machines are subject to an option. It is noteworthy that Air Lease Corporation is the first leasing company that not only expressed its intentions regarding purchases of the updated 737-s, but also brought these intentions to a firm contract. The estimated cost of the planned delivery of the aircraft is estimated at 7,2 billion US dollars. The French leasing company, it should be noted, bypassed competitors for a few hours. Already on the tenth of July, the leasing division of General Electric Corporation signed a contract with Boeing. GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) was not the first to sign, but was surprised by the volume of purchases. For more than nine billion dollars, GECAS intends to get the 75 Boeing 737MAX8 and 25 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Total, 14 billion in two days. Very good numbers.
It is worth noting that the signing of such large contracts does not occur immediately. It is preceded by negotiations lasting for months. However, the cost of time is fully justified. This obvious truth is understandable to all world leaders in the aircraft industry. Therefore, Boeing’s competitors are also not idle. On July 10, its first contract for Farnborough-2012 was signed by Airbus. In accordance with it, in the coming years, Hong Kong air carrier Cathay Pacific will receive ten A350-1000 aircraft. In addition, the previous agreement with the Asian firm was slightly revised. So, from 36 planned for delivery A350-900 will be delivered only twenty. The remaining 16 aircraft will be built in the new configuration A350-1000. According to reports from Western news agencies, Airbus will receive at least four billion dollars under these contracts. Another three billion Airbus will earn on the supply of 28 A320 aircraft and eight A321. These aircraft will become the property of the Chinese company China Aircraft Leasing Company, as its leasing name implies. Finally, the American merchants from the CIT Group want to receive ten A330 liners and are ready to pay for them about two and a half billion dollars. Thus, Airbus received orders and supply arrangements for a total of about ten billion. Of course, this is less than that of a direct competitor in the face of Boeing, but the European concern still retains its first place in contracts and supplies, primarily due to the agreements signed earlier.
Much worse were "made" at Farnborough-2012 by domestic companies. So, of all orders, it is worth noting only the UTair contract for the supply of 20 Airbus A320 aircraft. Interestingly, this carrier for the first time showed its intention to buy European airliners - hitherto, from foreign aircraft, he preferred Boeing. As for the aircraft produced in Russia, the situation here is no better. Farnborough voiced several unpleasant for the domestic aviation industry News. At first, Armavia Airlines (Armenia) refused to continue purchasing SSJ-100 aircraft. Moreover, there are still no official comments. The only thing that is known is that the Armenian carrier wants to buy Airbuses or Boeings instead of Superjets. Due to the lack of specific information about the reasons, a variety of versions began to appear: from the poor financial situation of Armavia to any problems with the aircraft, because of which the airline does not intend to expand the fleet. In addition, the silence of the Armenian company may not affect the reputation of the entire SSJ-100 project in the best way. The fact is that it was Armavia that was the first to receive the serial Superjet and has the largest experience in its operation. Accordingly, in the eyes of potential customers, the refusal to continue purchasing may also look like a hint that you still should not contact the SSJ-100. Of course, there are already firm contracts for the supply of several dozen such airliners, but the situation does not get any nicer from this. Currently, a lot depends on advertising. I would like to hope for the prudence of potential Superjet customers.
Another bad news with Farnborough-2012 concerns the mid-range aircraft MS-21. Crecom Burj Bhd, one of the Malaysian companies, was one of the first to intend to buy these airliners. A contract was signed for the supply of fifty MS-21, but at the last show, representatives of this carrier for some reason announced that a firm supply contract is now "turning" into an option. The reasons for this decision were not voiced. And again a lot of assumptions appear, but this time, unsuccessful operating experience is not among them. If only because the first MS-21 will fly into the air only in the 2015 year. Perhaps, the Malaysians were not satisfied with the too long deadlines for the start of deliveries. Well, or, as they say about Armavia, they simply do not have money for 50 brand new airliners. Nevertheless, it is worth waiting for official information, if it is, of course, to be.
The English Air Show was much more successful for domestic military aviation. First of all, it is worth noting training aircraft Yak-130. The existence of this project for many years is not a secret, but at Farnborough 2012 it was first presented to the general public abroad. The purpose of this aircraft is to train pilots who will fly on fighters of the fourth and newer generations. The on-board electronics of this training aircraft makes it possible to imitate the characteristics of control and behavior in the air of several types of fighter aircraft, which greatly facilitates the training and habituation of a pilot to a particular aircraft. According to specialists, the Russian Air Force needs at least 250 of such vehicles. As for the world military aviation, its needs are about ten times more. Several contracts with foreign countries for the supply of Yak-130 have already been signed, however, not all of them can be executed right now. It is about Syria, which, in view of the internal situation, cannot yet be recognized as a reliable buyer who will fulfill all of its obligations under the contract. Earlier, deliveries of aircraft to Libya broke down - after the civil war and the regime change, the country's new authorities refused to buy training Yak-130. At the Farnborough-2012 air show, the new training aircraft was only, so to speak, announced. Therefore, any new agreements about it were not signed. At the same time, while it is possible to speculate on the topic of its prospects. It is quite possible that potential buyers of this aircraft do not yet have all the necessary information and are just about to initiate negotiations about future purchases.
As you can see, in economic terms, the last exhibition was ambiguous for the domestic aviation industry. Not deadly, but unpleasant. However, much more unpleasant events related to the salon, touched the pilots and officials. A few days before the start of the Farnborough 2012, it became known that Russian pilots from the Russian Knights group had problems with going to the salon. As it turned out, domestic officials "tried". They simply did not have time to issue all the necessary documents for the flight. In addition, a number of officials and merchants have had problems with documents. Some media, citing anonymous sources, wrote that the British side is delaying the issuance of visas. It was explained by certain attempts to take revenge on Russia for its position on the Syrian issue. One way or another, regardless of the reasons, the audience did not see the Russian team’s pilot program, and several dozen people received serious problems.
Summing up, you can make one simple and banal idea. The past Farnborough-2012 showroom turned out to be a typical event of its class. For some manufacturers of aviation technology, it was successful, for others it was not. Still others, in general, remained with their own: they did not receive any transcendental contracts and at the same time did not lose the existing ones. For the Russian companies "Farnborough-2012" was not particularly successful, but without any special failures. Of course, the troubles of the “Russian Knights”, the lost hard contract and other events clearly do not contribute to optimism. However, do not forget another trivial thing: aviation exhibitions are only a showcase for the aviation industry. Major events and work are carried out "behind the scenes" and it is on them that special emphasis should be placed. Only in this case good news about the next contract for the supply of dozens of domestically produced airplanes will come from the next cabin, in the UK or in France.
Information