Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury has highlighted the A321XLR's potential to fill the "middle of the market" gap long studied by rival airframer Boeing, following European certification of the narrowbody's CFM International-powered version. Speaking in London on the eve of the Farnborough air show, Faury recalled that the A321XLR has been launched "in another world" at the Paris air show of 2019. "It was before Covid, before many other things, but I think that it's probably more than ever, the right product." He adds: "Some have been speaking about the middle of the market for decades. Airbus did it, and here we are with the XLR... We're very happy to bring that product to be sort of successor for the 757 that has been a great aircraft, but the XLR comes with 30% less fuel burn for the same mission... The XLR is an incredible new tool for the market, for many reasons, but it's also going in the direction of decarbonisation." Looking ahead to the Farnborough, Faury observed that following the recent general election in the UK the air show would provide "a great opportunity to engage with many new stakeholders", citing some discussions that had already taken place at the Royal International Air Tattoo military event in recent days. He acknowledges that "plenty of changes in our democracies" lie ahead later this year: "We are in a world that is changing all the time, very volatile, very unpredictable, and quite challenging for industries. A bit of deglobalisation as well, that makes our life not an easy life when it comes to operating... The first priority and the first objective that we have is to manage the [production] ramp-up in spite of all those difficulties."

Saudia Group has signed a binding order with Lilium for the purchase of 50 Lilium Jets, with options for 50 more. The German OEM says the move marks the largest reported firm order of eVTOL aircraft by an airline planning to operate them. The agreement includes deposit and pre-delivery payment schedules, delivery timelines, performance guarantees, and provisions for maintenance and support. The Lilium Jets, expected to be delivered starting in 2026, will be operated by Saudia Private, a subsidiary of Saudia Group. Lilium chief executive Klaus Roewe states: "We are proud of our partnership with a market leading airline such as Saudia. And we are thrilled to be pioneering progress in the eVTOL industry as the eVTOL manufacturer with the largest reported firm purchase order from an international airline that plans to operate the aircraft."

Embraer delivered 19 commercial jets in the second quarter, up from 17 aircraft in the corresponding quarter of 2023. The Brazilian airframer says its commercial aircraft backlog increased by 2% compared to the last quarter to $11.3 billion.
It highlights an order from state-owned airline Mexicana de Aviacion for 10 E190-E2 jets and another 10 E195-E2 jets, with deliveries scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2025. Azul Brazil had placed a firm order for 51 E195-E2 jets. Canada's Porter Airlines has also ordered 75 E195-E2 jets, out of which 36 jets are already delivered. Embraer delivered 47 jets in the quarter, an 88% increase compared to the previous quarter. The company's overall backlog ended at $21.1 billion, up over 20% year on year and a seven-year high. As of 30 June, Embraer had a firm order backlog of 382 commercial aircraft. It intends to deliver 72-80 commercial aircraft this year.