Re-engineered planes from Embraer’s E-Jet line could be available from as early as 2016 – two years ahead of schedule.

Speaking to FlightGlobal.com, Paolo Cesar de Sousa e Silva – the president of the Embraer Commercial Aviation – confirmed that the timing of a newly re-engineered fleet really depends on when the firm chooses a new engine provider.

If Embraer opts for Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan (GTF), then de Sousa e Silva is confident that the second-generation of E-jets could be in the skies by 2016.

On the other hand, if the company waited for new engines from General Electric and Rolls-Royce, then 2018 is a more realistic bet.

Nonetheless, de Sousa e Silva is confident that the E-175, E-190 and E-195 could all be seeing service “somewhere between 2017-2018″; much earlier than Embraer announced last November.

A decision has yet to be made on the fourth member of the E-class commercial jets, the E-170, it also emerged. However, a new 130-seater version of the E-195 is being considered. This would invariably change the engine requirements from other members of the fleet again.

Flight tracking enthusiasts might be familiar with the 70 to 120-seat capacity E-Jet range, as they are often used to “tap the gap” between larger mainline aircraft and smaller regional jets, explainsEmbraerCommercialJets.com.

More than 90 airlines in over 50 countries are flying at least one of the E-Jet series planes.

More bad news from the airline industry as Air Australia entered receivership on February 17 2012.

The Australian budget charter airline flew local Australian routes operating out of Brisbane and Melbourne and internationally to Bali, Phuket and Honolulu.

As many as 4,000 passengers are currently stranded including in Phuket and Honolulu with Qantas and JetStar both reported to be helping out.

The image below was shot in December 2011 with the Air Australia branding.

Many passengers with advanced tickets, up to 100,000, may not be covered by their travel insurance as part of their ticket conditions!

Here is the current statement on the Air Australia website www.airaustralia.com

The airline was founded in 2008 as Strategic Airlines and became Air Australia in November 2011.

On planefinder.net we tracked a couple of their last flights..

VA-YQA – Flight AGC663 from Melbourne to Brisbane – http://planefinder.net/flight/AGC663/time/2012-02-16T09:45:00%20UTC

VH-SSA – Flight AGC11 from Melboune to Honolulu – http://planefinder.net/flight/AGC11/time/2012-02-16T10:20:00%20UTC

The image below shows VH-SSA in Strategic Airlines livery captured in November 2011 shortly after the airline became Air Australia.

Sadly these aircraft are all now indefinitely grounded and are unlikely to be seen in the skies or on Plane Finder any time soon.

Aviation giant Boeing has shaken hands on its biggest deal to date, supplying 230 planes to a little known Indonesian airline.

According to WBez.org, the deal with Lion Air, Indonesia’s largest private airline, costs an eye-watering $22.4 billion (£14.28bn). The majority of the planes will be from Boeing’s fuel-efficient 737 MAX range, with 201 units ordered.

Lion Air has also invested in 29 next-generation 737-900ERs; Boeing’s answer to Airbus’s A321.

Commenting on the deal, aviation consultant Scott Hamilton says that the order will guarantee life in the 737 range: “What this does for Boeing – it solidifies the future of the 737 line. It gives them a good tough competitor against Airbus and its A320.”

However, it isn’t all plain sailing for Boeing. European manufacturer Airbus has been one step ahead of the Chicago-based firm ever since it introduced its A320 plane in 1988.

“So this is a real horse race that Boeing is still behind,” adds Hamilton. “But Boeing is going to be catching up and as we go forward, I think you’ll see roughly about a 50/50 market share split.”

It’s likely that 787 MAX will fair well in Asia because of the country’s need for shorter trips, which can be funded cheaper with more efficient aircraft.

Plane Finder experts may already be aware that the 737 MAX has a 10-12 per cent fuel burn improvement over the most fuel efficient single-aisle airplanes today. This enables them to offer a seven per cent operating cost per seat advantage over the competition.

Speaking of the aircraft’s efficiency, Dinesh Keskar, vice president of Asia-Pacific and India Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes said: “Lion Air has been a leader in Indonesia from the very beginning. Today more people are flying in Asia at lower fares because of the 737 and this historic 737 MAX order will help connect more people in the future.”

Boeing’s new mid-sized passenger offering, the 787 Dreamliner, has safely touched down in time for the Singapore Airshow.

Breaking Travel News reports that the 787 is to take a break during the show, remaining on public view between February 14th and 17th after completing a mammoth non-stop trip just days earlier.

Showing off the capabilities of the super-efficient airplane – one that’s sure to be a hit with flight tracking enthusiasts – the 787 flew an incredible 7,679 miles (12,358 km) from Seattle’s Boeing Field to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport before heading to the show.

Non-stop distance is clearly one of the airplane’s selling points, with more than 800 companies snapping up models for themselves around the globe.

Boeing.com says that the 787-8 Dreamliner is capable of carrying 210 to 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometres), while the 787-9 Dreamliner can carry 250 to 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometres).

Composite materials make up 50 per cent of the plane’s primary structure, including the fuselage and wing, making it incredibly fuel efficient.

The model on display at the airshow, which is considered to be among the world’s top three aviation events, is currently embarking on a six-month Dream Tour.

Test plane ZA003 is said to be kitted out with special cabin features, especially for touring guests lucky enough to experience the new plane first hand.

Such luxuries include a welcoming entryway, large business-class cabin, large dimmable windows, larger bins and dynamic LED lighting.

Korean Air is celebrating the addition of freighter versions of Boeing’s 747-8 and 777 to its fleet, becoming the first airline in the world to harness the power of both beasts.

Fuel consumption was a key issue for the aviation giant, who is expected to have paid around $280.1 million (£176m) for the 777 freighter, and $193.5 million (£122.8m) for the 787-8.

Those with an eye for flight tracking the colossal transporters, may catch a glimpse of the 747-8 on its transpacific route, stopping at Osaka and Narita in Japan, Los Angeles and San Francisco, reports Breaking Travel News.

It has a range of 4,390 nautical miles (8,130 km) and a maximum structural payload capacity of 148 tons (134 tonnes). An additional 4,221 cubic feet of storage (120 m3) improves cargo volume over the 474-400 Freighter by 16 per cent.

The 777F meanwhile, Korean Air’s first twin-engine freighter, can be spotted around European destinations, set to include London, Frankfurt and Vienna.

It has a cargo capacity of 103 metric tons (113 tons) with a range of 9,038 kilometres (4,880 nautical miles), explains Boeing.com‘s media office.

Commenting on the acquisition of the freighters, Korean Air chairman, Yang Ho Cho said: “We are very proud to become the first airline in the world to have the combined strengths of these two freighters in its fleet.

“They can help reduce carbon emissions by 17 percent and this supports our goal to be a responsible citizen of the world,” he added.