All the activity in the narrowbody segment planned for 2016 stands to make it one of the busiest years in recent memory for airliner makers, while airlines around the world look to reap all the expected economic benefits the new engine and airframe technology promises. With November’s certification of the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered Airbus A320neo and Transport Canada's approval of the Bombardier CSeries on December 18, the Pratt geared turbofan, for example, gets its first chance to prove its double-digit fuel improvement claims in revenue service. Meanwhile, as Bombardier and Airbus execute first delivery of their single-aisle jets, Boeing and China’s Comac continue preparations for first flight of the 737 Max 8 and C919, respectively. Finally, by the middle of the year Airbus expects to deliver the first CFM Leap-1A-powered A320neo, while Embraer prepares for first flight of the new E190 E2, the Pratt & Whitney PW1900G-powered derivative of the E190 scheduled for certification in the first half of 2018.

While the culmination of several long campaigns this year certainly looks like progress, the path to reaching this point didn’t track as straight as some had hoped, and last year in many ways marked a defining moment for troubled programs such as the CSeries. Finally completing all its certification testing after more than two years of delays, the CSeries didn’t reach the proverbial finish line before receiving a much needed financial boost late last year from the provincial government in Quebec, which promised to inject $1 billion in capital in return for a 49.5-percent stake in the project.

The new investment by the Quebec government came three weeks after Bombardier and Airbus each confirmed that they had explored “certain business opportunities” together and that talks had ended following reports that Bombardier offered a majority stake in the CSeries to the European airframer.

Another troubled program that has seen its fortunes turn over the past year—the Mitsubishi MRJ—flew for the first time in November, marking the start of a flight-test program expected to see the 90-seat Japanese jet ply U.S. skies this year as a major part of its certification effort. Plans call for the first of four MRJ90 prototypes to arrive in the U.S. in the second quarter to begin a flight-test campaign at Grant County International Airport at Moses Lake, Wash., to take advantage of its long runways and lack of regular scheduled airline service. Other testing sites in the U.S. include Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport in Colorado, where the company plans to conduct high-altitude takeoff and landing tests. Meanwhile, it has chosen Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico for special runway tests and McKinley Climatic Laboratory in Florida for extreme environment testing. It also plans to employ 150 engineers at a new engineering center in Seattle to support all the testing activity in the U.S.

While regional jets and narrowbodies attract much of the attention this year in terms of service entry and flight-testing, widebody developments also continue to speed along as well. After a successful entry into service of the 787-9 last year, Boeing’s 787-10–the straightforward stretch of the -9 the company bills as the most fuel-efficient airplane in the world–stands ready for 100-percent design release this year, in time for entry into service in 2018. On the other side of the Atlantic, work continues apace on the stretched version of the Airbus A350-900 called the A350-1000. On November 5 the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine under development for the big jet made its first flight on the European airframer’s A380 flying test bed, marking the start of a nine-month test program leading to first flight of the A350-1000 by mid-year.

To virtually all the world’s airliner manufacturers, goals for 2016 center on plan execution rather than new product launches. One exception could come from Airbus in the form of what has become known as the A380neo. If Emirates Airline had its way, Airbus would launch a re-engined A380 this year, but Toulouse would need a commitment from more than just one customer to risk such a potentially massive investment on a program that hasn’t yet proved itself worthy of the costs it has already incurred. Most recent indications from Airbus executives point to a possible service entry not until after 2022, in which case a launch this year would seem unlikely.       

Whether or not Airbus launches the A380neo, 2016 will bring with it plenty of opportunity for airframers to prove their mettle, whether that means executing successful entries into service or reaching program milestones on time. It should also give observers the chance to second-guess if things don’t go as planned. In any case, through the successes and setbacks, it looks sure to keep everyone involved busy making aviation history.