Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

As if to upstage its U.S. rival, Airbus flew the A319neo for the first time on Friday from its factory site in Hamburg, Germany, on the same day the Boeing 787-10 took off for its preannounced first flight from the grounds of the company’s Charleston, South Carolina, final assembly plant. The smallest version of Airbus’s A320neo family left Hamburg at 11:13 a.m. local time and landed at the company’s headquarters in Toulouse, France, at 4:10 p.m.


Powered by a pair of CFM International Leap-1A turbofans, the airplane will remain in Toulouse to complete the rest of its flight-test program. During the maiden five-hour mission, experimental test pilots Michel Gagneux and Eckard Hausser assessed general handling of the aircraft and checked its main systems. Test-flight engineer Jean Michel Pin assisted in the cockpit while two flight-test engineers, Sylvie Loisel-Labaste and David O’nions, directed the flight from the aircraft’s test engineer station.


Airbus has now flown all three of its Neo narrowbody models. Some 90 A320neos—powered by both Leaps and Pratt &amp; Whitney PW1100G turbofans—operate in service with 20 airlines around the world. Although the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-12-15/pratt-powered-a321neo-certified-easa-faa">Pratt &amp; Whitney-powered A321neo</a> gained its certification in December and the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2017-03-01/cfm-powered-a321neo-wins-easa-faa-certification">Leap-powered version</a> of the largest neo won EASA approval in early March, Airbus has yet to deliver a single example. The company has yet to announce a launch customer for either the A321neo or A319neo.


Out of a total of more than 5,000 firm orders for the Neo family, the A319neo has drawn only 55. Airbus has identified only two airline customers: South America's Avianca and Frontier Airlines of the U.S., which together have placed orders for 43, while unidentified customers and government operators account for another 12 airplanes.


<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GowfJl-cxfY" width="560"></iframe>

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

First Flight of Airbus A319neo Finishes Hours Ahead of 787-10

Five-hour maiden mission starts in Hamburg, ends in Toulouse 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Value of $283 billion over next 10 years is highest in its forecast history

Honeywell Forecast Sees Delivery and Revenue Rise Ahead

JetNet predicts 9,700 bizjet deliveries over the next decade

JetNet: Volatility Clouds Current Bizav Industry Mood

The project was begun nearly two decades ago

Lufthansa Technik Wraps Up Constellation Aircraft Restoration

Kerry Lynch

New bizjet deliveries set to top 850 by 2029

GJC: Balanced Bizjet Market To Approach $40B in 2025

Comlux taking delivery in 2026

Bombardier Busting Speed Barriers with Global 8000

Two test articles have accumulated 1,000 hours

Textron Aviation’s Citation Ascend Slides into Home BACE

Hanneke Weitering

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

More In Aircraft

Honeywell Forecast Sees Delivery and Revenue Rise Ahead

Value of $283 billion over next 10 years is highest in its forecast history

JetNet: Volatility Clouds Current Bizav Industry Mood

JetNet predicts 9,700 bizjet deliveries over the next decade

Lufthansa Technik Wraps Up Constellation Aircraft Restoration

The project was begun nearly two decades ago

GJC: Balanced Bizjet Market To Approach $40B in 2025

New bizjet deliveries set to top 850 by 2029

Bombardier Busting Speed Barriers with Global 8000

Comlux taking delivery in 2026

Textron Aviation’s Citation Ascend Slides into Home BACE

Two test articles have accumulated 1,000 hours

Boom Supersonic Makes NBAA-BACE Debut

Could a supersonic business jet be on the horizon?

With Latest CJ Nods, Textron Bridges Generational Gap

Textron Aviation received approvals for CJ3 Gen2 and M2 Gen2 with autothrottle

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN