Farnborough News in Brief 22 July 2026

BOC Aviation orders up to 220 engines from Pratt & Whitney: BOC Aviation has announced an order for up to 220 Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which will power up to 110 Airbus A320NEO family aircraft. “With this latest order, BOC Aviation is demonstrating its continued confidence in the GTF, which is the most fuel-efficient engine for single aisle aircraft,” said Rick Deurloo, President of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. “We have a strong relationship with BOC Aviation that we will continue to build upon to meet growing airline demand.” “This order is the largest that BOC Aviation has placed with Pratt & Whitney and a continuation of our 29-year relationship, reflecting the key role they have played in our growth,” said Steven Townend, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at BOC Aviation. “GTF engines enable a substantial reduction in fuel costs, contributing to the efficiency of our future fleet.” The GTF delivers 20% lower fuel consumption and a 75% smaller noise footprint compared to the prior generation of engines. Over 2,800 GTF-powered aircraft are operated globally by more than 90 customers, and the order backlog of over 8,000 GTF engines reflects strong market demand for its proven benefits. The engine’s revolutionary geared architecture is the right foundation for next generation technologies. The Helicopter Company expands Leonardo partnership: The Helicopter Company (THC), a Public Investment Fund (PIF) company and Saudi Arabia’s leading commercial helicopter operator, announced an additional order of 11 Leonardo helicopters. Eleven AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2028, under the framework agreement signed between THC and Leonardo at HAI Heli-Expo (now Verticon) in 2024. The new AW139s will further solidify THC’s position as one of the world’s largest operators of the type, enhancing its capacity to deliver its expanding range of services, including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), VIP transport, and offshore services. Captain Arnaud Martinez, CEO of THC, said: “We are proud to expand our long-standing partnership with Leonardo, which strengthens our leadership and operational capabilities in the region and beyond. Building on our existing AW139 fleet, which has made THC one of the largest and most recognized operators worldwide, this new order will contribute to our fleet optimization strategy while supporting our plans to grow our global footprint.” Gian Piero Cutillo, Co-General Manager of Leonardo and Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, said: “We are very pleased to move forward into the next stage of THC’s Leonardo helicopter fleet expansion and modernization plan which we launched two years ago, having also recently celebrated the delivery of the operator’s 40th aircraft. We stand ready and committed to supporting THC through its long-term strategy project to make sure our technology provides the high standard of service KSA’s communities expect.” Embraer and Mubadala signs cooperation deal: Embraer and Mubadala Investment Company, an Abu Dhabi sovereign investor, signed a Strategic Framework Agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow, establishing a pathway to a long-term collaboration across supply, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), human capital development, and research and development. The agreement was signed by Dimas Douglas Tomelin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of Embraer S.A. on behalf of Embraer and Amer Siddiqui, Executive Director at Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform on behalf of Mubadala. The partnership draws on the UAE’s integrated aerospace ecosystem, which spans aerostructures, advanced materials, MRO, and aviation services. As leading aircraft manufacturers streamline their supplier bases in favour of fewer, larger partners capable of delivering across the value chain, this agreement puts that integrated capability into action. Workforce development is a core pillar of the agreement. Embraer and Mubadala will jointly define the way to develop people and plan training programs focused on advancing engineering and aerospace skills in the UAE, including practical training, knowledge transfer, and work placements at Embraer facilities for Emirati talent. The two organizations will also jointly plan the research and development of next-generation aerostructures technologies, including composites, additive manufacturing, and high-temperature alloys, with the ambition of creating a co-located innovation hub to accelerate prototyping and bring new technologies to industrial scale. At the center of the collaboration are two of the UAE’s flagship aerospace businesses. For Sanad, the Abu Dhabi MRO specialist serving more than 40 global airlines, the agreement opens the opportunity to provide MRO services, with potential to regional expansion across the GCC and SAMENA markets as demand grows. Airbus launches new flight test programme for ‘Wing of Tomorrow’: Airbus is launching a new flight-test campaign to evaluate the performance of high-span wings for next-generation single-aisle aircraft, marking the next phase of one of its largest research and technology programmes, Wing of Tomorrow. Over the next three years, Airbus will design, build and flight test full scale wing extensions. These will be installed on an A321neo aircraft and used to evaluate how the different wing geometries perform in real flight conditions. The extensions, each measuring several metres, will replicate a folding wing in the fully extended position during a flight. They will be fitted with comprehensive testing equipment to capture behaviour in flight and evaluate how the longer wingspan impacts aircraft handling. Airbus is currently using advanced digital modelling and wind tunnel testing to finalise the designs of the wing extensions before they are tested in a representative flying environment. The flight data is critical to de-risk and unlock the full potential that longer wings could bring to next generation aircraft. The Wing of Tomorrow programme is centred around creating longer, lighter, and more slender wings to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn. The wing extensions will be assembled at Airbus’ Wing Technology Development Centre in the UK and flight tested in Toulouse. Airbus has already built three 17-metre (ground based) wing demonstrators to explore the advantages of increased wingspan and the benefits of more than 100 manufacturing and assembly technologies. GKN Aerospace wins long-term Pratt & Whitney GTF deal: GKN Aerospace has secured a series of contract awards with Pratt & Whitney, reinforcing its position as a key maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider for GTF engines. Spanning the next 5 to 10 years, these agreements cover more than 20 different component types, including critical engine cases, structures, and rotating parts across the global Pratt & Whitney GTF family. To support the growing GTF network, Pratt & Whitney has awarded GKN Aerospace multiple complex PW1500G/PW1900G part repairs. GKN Aerospace is splitting the contract between two of its three specialised repair sites –Sweden and Malaysia – to deliver a comprehensive solution. This strategy leverages the distinct, high-tech capabilities of each facility to provide innovative, localised solutions to Pratt & Whitney’s global GTF customer base. In Trollhättan, Sweden, Directed Energy Deposition (DED) additive repairs will be used to repair the PW1500G/PW1900G Exit Guide Vane (EGV) stators. DED is an innovative technology that enables GKN to deposit material to replace worn features in a highly controlled, precise manner. This supports the repair of highly engineered components that would otherwise be unfixable using legacy methods, reinforcing GKN’s investment in next-generation repair solutions. At the Johor, Malaysia site, the facility’s rapidly growing workforce and technical expertise within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will support stators and stator assembly component repairs. Additionally, GKN’s Johor site is extending its repair portfolio to include next-generation composite fan blades. In San Diego, USA, the facility has significantly expanded its regional MRO capabilities. The site is introducing state-of-the-art thermal coatings alongside new shot peen methods that utilise advanced ultrasonic technology. Acron Aviation and Deutsche Aircraft sign long-term partnership: Acron Aviation and Deutsche Aircraft have announced a long-term partnership and the signing of a supply agreement for Flight Recorder and Standby solutions for the next-generation D328eco, a regional turboprop that is designed, certified and industrialised in Europe. Designed to meet evolving operational and regulatory requirements, Acron Aviation’s 25-hour Recorder and Standby solutions combine proven reliability with advanced technology to enhance aircraft safety, operational efficiency and lifecycle performance. This directly supports Deutsche Aircraft’s vision to deliver a regional aircraft that meets the highest performance and certification standards, while enabling sustainable flight operations. The agreement secures the supply of flight recording and standby instrumentation systems for the D328eco programme, further solidifying Deutsche Aircraft’s industrial and supplier ecosystem as the aircraft progresses towards entry into service. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]