Farnborough opens with Boeing, Airbus orders and air defence focus

Farnborough Airshow opened on Monday with Boeing and Airbus securing the first aircraft orders, while defence companies unveiled lower-cost interceptor missiles and drones as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East drive demand for stronger air-defence capabilities.

Ongoing conflicts are shaping discussions at the July 20 to 24 Farnborough Airshow, one of the world's largest aerospace and defence gatherings, bringing together hundreds of companies across commercial aviation, propulsion and military technology, from unmanned fighter jets and hypersonic missiles to spy satellites and AI-enabled weapons systems.

"We're in a place of geopolitical unrest around the world," said Farnborough International Airshow CEO Gareth Rogers, though he added firms were still bullish. "My view would be that there seems to be a bit of a continual boom in commercial orders. What the numbers will be, I don't know."

Monday's opening also coincides with the first day in office of Prime Minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham, who could make an appearance at the event later in the week.

Commercial deals were led by Irish lessor SMBC Aviation Capital's order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX jets and Riyadh Air's purchase of six Airbus A350-1000s. Boeing also secured orders for 15 787-10 Dreamliners from Philippine Airlines and 28 additional 787s from Riyadh Air, while airlines and lessors announced major engine commitments for future Airbus and Boeing fleets. SMBC is also expected to order around 100 Airbus narrowbody jets, sources said.

Beyond this week's deals, planemakers and engine manufacturers are debating one of the industry's biggest decisions for the next decade: when and how to replace the best-selling Boeing 737 and Airbus A320neo families.

Airline executives on Monday cautioned Boeing and Airbus not to rush out a new generation of commercial jets without ensuring their technology is mature enough.

Airbus has backed CFM's "open fan" engine concept, which promises up to 20% lower fuel consumption, while Boeing has taken a more cautious approach, favouring conventional engine designs while keeping its options open.

Underscoring the industry's focus on propulsion technology, GE Aerospace  said on Monday it had teamed up with NASA and BETA Technologies on the world's first high-altitude flight with hybrid-electric propulsion assistance.

AIR DEFENCE IN FOCUS AS CONFLICTS RAGE

Defence companies made up half of a record 1,600 exhibitors at this year's show, highlighting a shift from the commercial aviation roots of an event that began in 1948 as a showcase for British aerospace technology. 

The shift reflects how conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East have transformed spending priorities and accelerated demand for new defence technologies.

Lockheed Martin announced a lower-cost Patriot interceptor on Monday as militaries seek cheaper ways to counter drones and missiles, while defence contractors face competition from startups making low-cost weapons that can ​be produced at scale.

Lockheed said its new PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector, or ​ACE, missile would cost less than half as much as its ⁠PAC-3 MSE interceptors, which cost roughly $4 million per missile, according to U.S. ​Army budget documents.

European missile manufacturer MBDA also announced it is launching an interceptor to counter attacks by large numbers of low-cost munitions such as drones.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told Reuters it remains on track for next year's Artemis III mission, a key test of orbital ‌docking and lunar landers needed for future crewed moon landings, despite an explosion involving an unmanned Blue Origin rocket during a launchpad test in May.