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

An order placed by All Nippon Airways for up to 20 General Electric GEnx-1B-powered Boeing 787s on Tuesday struck another blow to rival engine maker Rolls-Royce, whose troubled Trent 1000 powers 71 Dreamliners already in service at ANA. The decision by the Japanese airline to choose&nbsp;GE marks the second case of a Dreamliner operator switching from Rolls-Royce. Air New Zealand last summer chose alternative GEnx-1Bs to power eight incoming Boeing 787-10s after having to ground five of its 13 Boeing 787-9s due to premature turbine blade wear on the Trents.

 


ANA’s own problems with the Trent 1000 date back to 2016, when three engine failures caused by corrosion and cracking of intermediate turbine blades prompted it to replace the turbofans on all 50 of the 787s it had taken by then. By early last fall, the UK engine company acknowledged its efforts to replace all the turbine blades on the worldwide fleet would extend into the second quarter of this year.

 


Tuesday’s order confirmation by ANA calls for direct delivery from Boeing of eleven 787-10s and a single 787-9, while the final three on firm order will come via a lease deal with Atlantis Aviation. ANA also reserved an option on five 787-9s from Boeing. ANA expects delivery of the 787-10s—earmarked for domestic service—between its 2022 and 2024 fiscal years. It plans to place the 787-9s into international service starting in FY2024 and concluding the following year.

 


The order marks the first commercial sales activity for Boeing airliners this year.

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.

ANA Snubs Rolls with Order for GE-powered 787s 

The Japanese airline plans to place its first GEnx-powered Boeing 787-10 into service next year.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Joseph Carfagna Jr.

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.

Certainty benefits the preowned business aircraft market

AINsight: Election Results and the Fence

Kerry Lynch

Ultra-long-range model has amassed 75 records, many from customer trips

Speed Records Abound for Bombardier's Global 7500

We talk through the process from conception to delivery

Flying Privately: How Aircraft Like the Bombardier Global 8000 Come to Life

Hanneke Weitering

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

AltiSky will assemble, sell, and service VoltAero's aircraft

VoltAero Picks U.S. Distributor for Cassio Hybrid-electric Aircraft 

Jennifer Leach English

Company noncommittal on expanding its lineup upwards, citing $1B investment cost

Embraer’s Plans for a Larger Bizjet Remain Up in the Air

Operations ebbed, backlogs were steady, and available aircraft increased

GJC: Bizjet Market Continues To Stabilize in 3Q2024

Greenville-based charter operator pre-orders 10 eVTOL air taxis

SAI Flight To Operate SkyDrive eVTOL in South Carolina

Charles Alcock

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

More In Aircraft