Highlights, Headlines, and Happenings from the Farnborough Air Show 2026.
Farnborough International Airshow returns next week as one of the two premier gatherings on aviation’s commercial calendar, alternating biennially with its French rival at Paris Le Bourget. Beyond the roar of flypasts and aerobatic displays, the real business happens in the chalets and hangars, where Boeing, Airbus, and their supply chains hash out the order books that will define air travel for the next decade. We will be summarizing all the big news from the show in daily posts here at Flight Plan, including aircraft contracts and airline commitments.
MONDAY
A senior Federal Aviation Administration official told Reuters that the FAA expects to certify the Boeing 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 variants soon, with certification of the MAX 7 to be closely followed by the MAX 10. Boeing announced last week that the certification of an engine anti-ice system fix for the 737 MAX family is in the final stages.
The Helicopter Company (THC), a Saudi Arabian commercial helicopter operator, ordered eight Airbus H145 helicopters at the Farnborough International Airshow. Airbus Helicopters will deliver the aircraft in 2027 and 2028. The new contract is part of a framework agreement signed between THC and Airbus at Verticon in 2024 covering up to 120 Airbus helicopters of various types set to be delivered over the next 3 to 5 years.
Singapore-based lessor BOC Aviation ordered 300 CFM International LEAP engines to power its Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 Max aircraft fleets. The deal includes 200 Leap-1A and 100 Leap-1B turbofans.
Turboprop manufacturer ATR anticipates an uptick in order activity during the second half of 2026 after a Middle East conflict paused airline procurement and slowed its second-quarter sales. Despite this temporary slowdown, the airframer remains focused on long-term growth, aiming to ramp up annual production to 60 aircraft by the end of the decade while targeting key expansion markets in India and the United States.
Philippine Airlines committed to order up to 20 Boeing 787 widebodies. An initial agreement would cover 15 787-10 models, with options on another five. The airline will use the new aircraft to modernize its fleet and expand routes.
SMBC Aviation Capital ordered 100 737 MAX airplanes, including 60 737-10 and 40 737-8 jets. The 737-10 order represents SMBC Aviation Capital’s first purchase of the 737 MAX family’s highest capacity model, which is nearing certification. With the new order, SMBC Aviation Capital’s portfolio for the 737 MAX family increased to 450 jets.
Riyadh Air, a new international airline based in Saudi Arabia, firmed up an order for six more Airbus A350-1000 widebodies, taking its total firm commitment for the type to 31 aircraft. The new deal is part of the airline’s original commitment for up to 50 A350-1000s announced in 2025.
Embraer touted two new milestones in the certification program for its Eve Air Mobility electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. First, Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) is finalizing updated airworthiness criteria for the vehicle; second, Eve has formally applied to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to begin its Type Certificate validation process.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced the 400th customer delivery of the Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600 family after delivering a G600 to a customer in the Asia-Pacific region. Since entering service, the G500 and G600 fleet has accumulated more than 519,000 flight hours and over 200,000 landings.
Bombardier’s Global 8000 ultra-long-range business jet set a new speed record on a flight from Los Angeles to Farnborough. The aircraft completed the journey in 8 hours and 46 minutes, reaching a top speed of Mach 0.93—topping the previous record for this city pair by 2.2%. An upgraded version of the Global 7500, the Global 8000 offers a maximum speed of Mach 0.95 and an 8,000-nautical-mile range.
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