page_title: 2018 in aviation
section_title: December
hierarchical_section_title: 2018 in aviation / Events / December
context_page_description: This is a list of aviation-related events in 2018.
context_section_description: 5 December
  Swiss business jet and wet lease operator PrivatAir files for insolvency and ceases operations, as well as its German subsidiary.
  The airline alliance Oneworld announces that Royal Air Maroc will become a new member in 2020, the first African airline in the alliance.
  6 December
  At the demand of four congressmen of the left-wing Brazilian Workers Party, a Brazilian federal court forbids the regional plane-maker's board of directors to form the Boeing-Embraer joint venture, as that would give away for free the profitable airliner division and would remove it from the Brazilian government control.
  10 December
  Avianca Brazil files for bankruptcy protection as three lessors wants to get back 30% of its 50 aircraft fleet, R$100 million ($26 million) are owed to airports and bank debt grew by 50% in 2018, while United Airlines extended a loan of $456 million to Avianca owner Synergy Group.
  MEBAA is held 10–12 December in Dubai.
  14 December
  Air Berlin's insolvency administrator sues its former owner Etihad for 0.5 to 2 billion euros of damages caused by withdrawing its funding before the promised 18 months from April 2017.
  15 December
  The first Boeing 737 is delivered, a MAX 8 to Air China, from the new Chinese completion center in Zhoushan, 20 months after construction of the 666,000 sq ft (61,900 m²) facility began in a joint venture with COMAC, as one third of 737 deliveries are going to Chinese customers and China should become the largest airliner market.
  17 December
  A strategic partnership was announced for the Boeing-Embraer joint venture for airliners, subject to multiple approvals, while another joint venture to market the KC-390 will be owned for 51% by Embraer and 49% by Boeing, and will also need similar authorizations.
  18 December
  VLM Airlines Brussels files for bankruptcy.
  Aircraft maintenance provider StandardAero is purchased by asset management company The Carlyle Group from Veritas Capital for $5 billion, the deal should close in the first quarter of 2019.
  SkyWest, Inc. sells Atlanta-based ExpressJet Airlines to KAir Enterprises-United Airlines joint venture ManaAir for $70 million, the transaction is expected to close in early 2019. A Continental Airlines subsidiary before 2002 and purchased by SkyWest in 2010, ExpressJet lost $302 million in 2016, $32.5 million in 2017, and $0.23 million in the third quarter of 2018. With 128 aircraft (105 Embraer ERJ-145s, 14 Bombardier CRJ700s and nine CRJ100/200s) ExpressJet operates regional services for United, and American Airlines until April 2019. Utah-based SkyWest will retain the CRJs, but will lease 20 CRJ200s to ExpressJet, which will operate 25 United-owned, 70-seat Embraer 175s.
  Brazilian plane maker Embraer delivered the 1500th E-Jet, an E175, to Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines.
  20 December
  The Tecnam P2012 Traveller receives its European type certification, while the US approval is expected to follow shortly.
  After 4,050 hours in 1,650 test flights, the Cessna Citation Longitude receives a provisional FAA type certification, allowing deliveries in early 2019.
  After being delivered in early December, the Bombardier Global 7500 enters service with 100 secured orders.
  21 December
  The Airbus A319neo with CFM Leap-1A engines received a joint type certificate from the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
caption: The CFM Leap powered Airbus A319neo was certified by the EASA/FAA on 21 December
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