Safran Commences Hybrid-Electric Testing on Modified Silvercrest Engine
Safran Aircraft Engines launches 300-hour, six-month ground test campaign of hybrid-electric demonstrator using Silvercrest core to develop next-gen narrowbody powerplants.
The gist
Safran advances hybrid-electric propulsion with six months of testing on a Silvercrest-based demonstrator designed for future narrowbody aircraft.
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Safran Aircraft Engines has initiated a significant testing phase for a hybrid-electric engine demonstrator derived from its Silvercrest business jet powerplant. The company plans to conduct approximately 300 hours of ground tests over a six-month period at its open-air test stand located at Istres air base in southern France. This effort marks a deliberate step in maturing hybrid-electric propulsion technologies relevant to upcoming narrowbody-sized aircraft engines.
The demonstrator, dubbed PHILEAS, integrates a pair of 250kW motor-generators mounted on the engine's high- and low-pressure spools. These units are dimensioned to fit the power requirements anticipated for next-generation short- and medium-range aircraft propulsion systems. In addition to the motor-generators, the setup includes onboard power electronics and an electrical distribution system, orchestrated to simulate operational conditions realistically.
This test program encompasses advanced power management scenarios such as balancing power extraction between shafts, transferring power between the high- and low-pressure spools, and optimizing power exchanges between the engine and the aircraft. Safran aims to validate how well these integrated systems operate under conditions that mimic real flight operations, underscoring its commitment to viable hybrid-electric propulsion integration.
Pierre Cottenceau, Safran Aircraft Engines' vice-president of engineering, research, and technology, emphasized the milestone nature of this campaign. He highlighted the role of hybrid-electric systems as critical to achieving ambitious fuel burn reduction targets, notably a 20% improvement compared to current narrowbody engines. This reflects Safran's strategic focus on efficiency gains driven by electrification technologies.
The Silvercrest core at the heart of these developments is a 10,000-pound-thrust (44kN) business jet engine platform that Safran discontinued development on over a decade ago. However, its architecture is now repurposed effectively for hybrid-electric experiments and demonstrations, extending its technological legacy into sustainable aviation propulsion.
Supporting these efforts, Safran’s sister company, Safran Electrical & Power (SE&P), has developed the electrical components integral to the PHILEAS demonstrator. SE&P's expertise was previously leveraged in the 2023 DOPEE project, which validated a 300kW electric motor-generator attached to the Silvercrest high-pressure shaft and accumulated approximately 300 hours of test time.
Complementing Safran’s work, GE Aerospace, in partnership with Safran via the CFM International joint venture, is also developing hybrid-electric technology as part of the RISE open-fan demonstrator. This system similarly aims to optimise propulsion through electrical hybridisation across different flight regimes. Concurrently, GE's NASA-supported Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration, involving a modified Saab 340B, highlights the broader industry commitment to hybrid-electric solutions, with demonstrations planned at the upcoming Farnborough Air Show.
Safran has also conducted system-level testing at SE&P’s Niort facility since late 2025, replicating an 800V aircraft electrical network on a test bench. These efforts collectively indicate a multi-faceted approach to bringing hybrid-electric propulsion maturity to readiness for future commercial aircraft applications, with PHILEAS serving as a landmark demonstration of integrated electric and gas turbine powertrain technology.
Frequently asked questions
- What engine is Safran using for its hybrid-electric demonstrator tests?
- Safran is using a modified version of its Silvercrest business jet engine fitted with 250kW motor-generators on both the high- and low-pressure spools for the hybrid-electric demonstrator.
- What is the purpose of the PHILEAS demonstrator test campaign?
- The PHILEAS test campaign aims to mature hybrid-electric technologies for next-generation short- and medium-range aircraft engines by validating integrated power management and electrical systems over about 300 hours of ground testing.
- How does hybrid-electric technology fit into Safran's future engine plans?
- Safran considers hybrid-electric systems critical to achieving a 20% fuel burn reduction target on future narrowbody aircraft engines and is developing these technologies through demonstrators like PHILEAS and the RISE open-fan project.
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Chinese Carriers Order 95 New Airbus Jets to Modernize Fleets and Expand
In a significant boost for global aviation manufacturing, major Chinese carriers have committed to purchasing 95 new Airbus aircraft. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(119); }); The deals, announced on July 17, 2026, highlight the ongoing recovery and expansion of China’s aviation sector as airlines modernise fleets and prepare for rising passenger demand. Air China and Shenzhen Airlines Sign $12.44 Billion Deal Air China, together with its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines, has signed agreements with Airbus for 55 aircraft. The order includes 15 wide-body A350-900s for Air China and 40 A320neo family narrow-body aircraft for Shenzhen Airlines. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(127); }); The combined catalogue value reaches approximately US$12.44 billion. However, the actual purchase price is expected to be substantially lower after typical commercial discounts. Deliveries for Shenzhen Airlines’ A320neo jets are scheduled between 2029 and 2032, while Air China’s A350-900 aircraft will arrive from 2030 to 2032. Air China Group emphasised that the new aircraft will support long-term fleet renewal and network growth. The planes promise better fuel efficiency and reduced operating costs. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(128); }); Based on its 2025 fleet, the group projects a 7.1% capacity increase from the A350 order and an additional 4.3% from the Shenzhen Airlines aircraft. Some deliveries will replace older, less efficient planes. The transaction still requires shareholder and regulatory approvals. Photo Credit: Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hainan Airlines Orders 40 A320neo Aircraft Separately, Hainan Airlines has agreed to buy 40 A320neo family aircraft. This order carries a catalogue value of up to US$5.36 billion, with the final price also expected to reflect negotiated discounts. Deliveries are planned from 2028 to 2032. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(129); }); Hainan Airlines intends to use the new jets for fleet modernisation and expansion. The aircraft will help optimise the airline’s structure, boost overall capacity, and strengthen long-term competitiveness. Funding will come from internal resources, bank financing, finance leases, and other arrangements. Like the Air China deal, this agreement needs shareholder and regulatory clearance. Why These Orders Matter Together, the two announcements represent 95 new Airbus aircraft heading to Chinese operators. The A320neo family is popular for its fuel-saving engines and lower emissions, making it ideal for high-frequency domestic and regional routes. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(130); }); The A350-900, a modern wide-body, excels on long-haul international services with superior passenger comfort and efficiency. These purchases reflect broader trends in Chinese aviation. After pandemic-related disruptions, carriers are investing heavily in newer technology to meet growing travel demand, improve environmental performance, and compete more effectively. Enhanced fuel efficiency is particularly important as airlines face pressure to reduce carbon footprints. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(131); }); Photo Credit: 4300streetcar, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Positive Outlook for Chinese Aviation The orders signal confidence in China’s economic recovery and the future of air travel in the region. New aircraft will allow airlines to open or expand routes while lowering costs per seat. Passengers can also look forward to quieter, more comfortable flights on modern planes. Industry analysts will watch how these deliveries align with China’s airport infrastructure development and international route recovery. Both deals remain subject to final approvals, but they demonstrate Airbus’s strong position in the important Chinese market. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(132); }); Conclusion With 95 aircraft on order, Chinese airlines are making a clear statement about their growth ambitions. These investments in efficient Airbus technology should deliver benefits for carriers, passengers, and the environment alike in the years ahead. The aviation sector continues to show resilience and forward momentum as it builds back stronger.
LATAM Airlines Invests $100M to Introduce Premium Economy on 787 Fleet
LATAM Airlines has been thriving in recent years, outperforming most of its competitors across the world. In the last financial year, the airline delivered an exceptional 16.2% operating margin, compared to the 7.2% average as reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) . Unsurprisingly, the pan-South American airline continues to invest in digital innovation , passenger experience, in-flight entertainment , and fleet renewal to ensure sustainable growth going into the next decade.
Emerging Two-Hangar Trend Sees Pilots Balancing Business Jets with Personal Backcountry Aircraft
The longer I am in aviation, the more I find two-hangar pilots. These are the ones that have the business jet on limited charter with the management company , and a second hangar at the local airstrip. It is the second hangar that catches my attention, because it is the aircraft in that second hangar that sparks the eye twinkling smiles and the rascally grins. The second hangar is not always as brightly lit or even as big, but it is where you find the aircraft the owner actually loves to fly: a Carbon Cub FX-3 and an RV-14 he built during the pandemic. This is not an unusual story anymore. It is a generation. Aircraft You Show Off and the One You Actually Fly There is a class of pilot—successful, accomplished, the kind whose company uses the jet for legitimate business travel—who keeps a second aircraft that no flight department will touch, that no scheduler will log, that exists entirely outside the operational framework of the primary aviation asset. It is the aircraft they fly when the office is not calling. Sometimes it is a Carbon Cub fully optioned north of $400,000. Sometimes it is an SR22 left over from before the company grew to the point where a Pilatus , EPIC , or Citation made more sense. Sometimes it is a Van's RV-14 that lives in a T-hangar at a grass strip 40 minutes from home. Sometimes it is a restored Bonanza that belonged to a grandfather. What unifies them is not the aircraft type. It is what the aircraft represents. The jet is the tool. The other one is the reason they learned to fly in the first place. Welcome back to FLYING. Why This Generation Exists Now Three things converged to produce this profile. First, the premium certified piston and turboprop markets appreciated significantly from 2020 through 2023. Pilots who bought SR22Ts in 2015 saw their aircraft retain or appreciate in value, which made it financially easier to step into a Vision Jet without fully leaving the piston world behind. They kept the SR22 because selling it no longer made financial sense, and because it still served missions the jet was wrong for. You don't take a Vision Jet for $100 hamburgers. Second, the experimental market produced aircraft that only a few legacy certified backcountry manufacturers like Aviat ever could. A CubCrafters Carbon Cub FX-3 serves a backcountry mission the Cirrus cannot touch. A Van's RV-15, stalling below 45 knots and taking off in under 400 feet, a Bearhawk 5 , and a Rans S-21 Outbound take a pilot to places few certified production aircraft can reach. These aircraft are not consolation prizes for pilots who cannot afford a jet. They are deliberate acquisitions by pilots who can afford the jet and want something else entirely for a different kind of flying. Third, MOSAIC changed what is possible in a single category. It gave flying back to the pilot community, and introduced aircraft to make it more enjoyable than ever before. The provisions that took effect July 24, 2026—stall-speed framework replacing the weight limit, retractable gear permitted, night flight with an endorsement—opened the door to aircraft that serve missions the original LSA category was too constrained to accommodate. Profiles Are Real The pilots who have enough hours and enough experience to understand what each aircraft does well are the ones most likely to own more than one. Those are also more likely to be the ones that no longer clear the Class III medical, and rely on sport pilot designations to keep taking to the skies as often as the world below will allow. The two-hangar profile is not aspirational for this group. It is operational, alive and well, and growing. What is interesting from a financing perspective is how different these two transactions are. The jet transaction is institutional, with commercial underwriting, engine program enrollment, business use documentation, and a middle market aircraft lender that understands equipment finance. The Carbon Cub or RV-14 transaction is personal, with the build log as the title chain, EAB category, competitive mid 6 percent rates, and a lender pool that is thin compared to the certified aircraft market. The same pilot, the same net worth, the same financial profile—and two completely different underwriting conversations. Financing Gap Nobody Talks About The bank that financed your jet may also handle your treasury management needs and corporate loans, but almost certainly will not finance your Carbon Cub. Not because your credit changed. Because they do not hold the collateral type regularly and the transaction does not fit their underwriting policy. I know because I was that banker—a senior vice president and market executive at a super regional bank advising clients on corporate and private wealth matters. The $8 million jet to a family office or middle market enterprise was just another day at the bank. I can introduce you to that policy writer, now running the aviation lending division at one of the top five banks in the country. I can introduce you to the banker who taught Gulfstream synthetic leases in the 1990's in Savannah, Georgia. But the backcountry flyer with 300+ hp coming from a Lycoming engine like what Virgil's team puts in the Bearhawk 5? I could have overridden the policy, called it unsecured, taken a hit on the pricing, and maybe reached 5 years fully amortizing just to get it done. But that's not aircraft financing, and compared with real experimental terms, I would have lost that deal every day of the week. So your personal banker may try. They may even be a pilot themselves and try to create a personal loan, stretching policy and undercutting their risk pricing model to make it work. But that is not aircraft financing—that is forcing an asset-backed transaction into a consumer loan structure because the bank is not built around owner-flown aircraft financing. The credit team will likely be researching the difference between an Aviat Husky and a Beechcraft Bonanza and your loan will be the loan they did and hope they did not miss anything when the regulators pick it up for review. And yet, that is largely how the experimental aircraft market has limped along for years, with large cash inputs, if not wholly cash, and lenders stepping in and out of the market, leaving uncertainty about whether these aircraft can even be financed. FLYING Finance brings transparency to all of it, and handles both sides of the hangar. The turboprop or jet with the institutional documentation and the engine program enrollment, and the EAB with the build log and the experimental airworthiness certificate. We get to know our bankers as well as we get to know our customers, and we do not ask either one to compromise. One pre-approval. One conversation. One team that has closed both types and knows what each lender actually wants to see. Banks are excellent where they specialize. Knowing that is what we do, not yours to figure out. What This Looks Like Going Forward The two-hangar profile is not a niche. It is the direction the pilot population is moving. As certified aircraft become more expensive, as the EAB and MOSAIC categories become more capable, and as the pilots who grew up flying Cessnas and Pipers achieve the financial success to acquire whatever they actually want (maybe that 206 with floats ), the second hangar door is going to keep opening. The aircraft behind it might be a Bearhawk 5 with a 300-horsepower engine and a stall speed under 40 mph. It might be a CubCrafters XCub built for backcountry missions. It might be the RV-14 they built during the pandemic. It might be the Bonanza their grandfather owned. Whatever it is, it finances differently than the aircraft on the other side of the hangar. That conversation is worth having before you start the acquisition. Pre-approval at flyingfinance.com . EAB financing at flyingfinance.com/kitplane-financing/ . For the aircraft in the first hangar: flyingfinance.com/turboprop-jet-financing/ . FLYING Finance is the aircraft financing arm of the
Emirates Completes 100th Cabin Retrofit in Record 44 Months
Emirates has successfully retrofitted its 100th aircraft under its ambitious cabin upgrade programme, the largest of its kind globally. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(119); }); In just 44 months since November 2022, the carrier has refreshed 47 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s. The work was carried out at its state-of-the-art Engineering facilities in Dubai. This milestone represents a significant step in Emirates’ US$5 billion investment to elevate its onboard product. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(127); }); By the end of December 2026, the airline expects to complete around 20 more aircraft, pushing it well past the halfway mark of its 219-aircraft target. The programme ensures every passenger enjoys consistent luxury, comfort, and modern amenities across the fleet. Massive Scale and Engineering Excellence The retrofit effort showcases extraordinary scale and precision. Emirates’ Engineering team, comprising over 400 engineers and technicians, has invested a total of 4.4 million man-hours. On average, the team completes about 28 aircraft per year. Each retrofit involves a complete nose-to-tail cabin refresh. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(128); }); For an A380, engineers handle more than 4,000 parts, while a Boeing 777 requires over 2,500 parts. The interiors are fully disassembled, refreshed, and meticulously reassembled. To manage this complex operation, the team developed innovative solutions, such as using modified catering trucks to move large components inside the hangars. They also created zonal work tracking systems, specialized storage procedures, and custom equipment for accessing every area of the aircraft. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(129); }); Emirates collaborated with over 100 suppliers to support this massive project, all executed entirely in-house in Dubai. This approach highlights the airline’s technical capabilities and commitment to maintaining tight schedules. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline , commented on the achievement. “Our commitment to deliver best-in-class products across every cabin is an ongoing endeavour, and completing full cabin retrofits for 100 wide-body aircraft in 44 months is a significant achievement.” “Backed by a US$5 billion investment, it ensures our customers ‘fly better,’ with elevated luxury, comfort, and thoughtful detail throughout each cabin.” He praised the team for rewriting the rulebook on retrofitting the world’s largest passenger aircraft. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(130); }); Premium Economy Rollout and Future Enhancements A standout feature of every retrofit is the addition of a new Premium Economy cabin. To date, more than 3,800 new Premium Economy seats have been installed. This has accelerated the product’s availability across Emirates’ extensive network, giving more passengers access to the highly praised experience. The programme continues to evolve. In May 2026, engineers completed a complex two-to-three class retrofit on an A380, introducing Premium Economy on the upper deck for the first time. Starting in October 2026, the next phase will bring 4K OLED HDR10+ seatback screens and new lightweight Safran Z400 seats, along with other upgrades. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(131); }); Commitment to Sustainability Sustainability forms a key part of the initiative. Thousands of kilograms of high-grade leather, fabrics, and materials removed during retrofits are upcycled into limited-edition items under the ‘Aircrafted by Emirates’ collection, including luggage. The airline has also distributed over 4,000 backpacks made from repurposed Economy Class seat fabric to children in 11 countries. Conclusion Emirates first announced the retrofit programme in November 2021, initially targeting 105 aircraft. Strong customer demand led to expansions, reaching 191 aircraft by May 2024 and 219 by the end of that year. The first retrofitted Boeing 777 entered service in August 2024. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(132); }); This programme reinforces Emirates’ position as an industry leader. Operating the world’s largest fleets of A380s and Boeing 777s, the airline continues to invest in its product to offer exceptional comfort, entertainment, and service on flights worldwide. With over half the fleet upgrades on track by late 2026, passengers can look forward to even more consistent, world-class experiences in the skies. Emirates’ in-house expertise and forward-thinking approach set a new benchmark for large-scale aircraft retrofits in commercial aviation.
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