Air France A350 contract stalled; here’s the way forward

Bloomberg News has this report that the Air France-KLM talks for 25 Airbus A350s remain stalled over the long-running dispute between the company and Rolls-Royce over AF’s desire to overhaul the Trent XWB engines. The Air France-KLM group… Read More

787 production ramp may be faster; softer 2013 orders expected

Credit Suisse and UBS issued notes on Boeing today. Here are excerpts. Key points: production ramp up on the 787 may go faster than expected; Boeing continues to consider a rate higher than 10.mo for the 787; 2013… Read More

SPEEA to members: reject Boeing contract offer

Late Monday, SPEEA, the engineers union, issued this press release urging members to vote down a contract offer from Boeing. SEATTLE – On Monday, Sept. 17, the SPEEA Professional and Technical Bargaining Unit Councils voted to send Boeing’s… Read More

Odds and Ends: More on EADS-BAE; surviving crashes

EADS-BAE: NOW that a few days have passed since the announcement BAE and EADS want to combine, here’s some more worldwide press: Reuters: Government demands could make or break deal. Interactive Investor: Merger will advance EADS military goals…. Read More

US Defense sequestration: USAF tanker on hit list

The White House issued a 394 page report on what defense programs are subject to sequestration. The USAF tanker replacement–a program won by Boeing in a bitter contest–is on the hit list (PDF Page 274, document page Appendix… Read More

Around the world in 5 minutes

This has nothing to do with aviation (except implicitly that’s how Matt got from one place to another) but this is just so darn cool, we have to share it. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwe-pA6TaZk&w=560&h=315] And here are outtakes from the… Read More

BAE Systems is growth opportunity for EADS

Update, Sept. 13: Here are some stories from today: Bloomberg: EADS move seen by Boeing as growth; Revives decade-old plan; and this update about the rankings: BAE is the ninth biggest vendor to the U.S. government, with $7.3… Read More

Odds and Ends: Airbus & Boeing White Elephants; BABC conference; CSeries stalking horse

White Elephants: Bloomberg News doesn’t pull any punches in this article. 747 No. 1 needs help: The Seattle Times has this long story about the first 747-100 that needs restoration. BABC Conference: The British American Business Council has… Read More

Odds and Ends: Random thoughts, Seinfeld style (i.e., about nothing)

We’re feeling irreverent today…. From Twitter: Boeing Defense ‏@BoeingDefense In Sept issue of #Boeing Frontiers: With #Apollo roots, Boeing has grown to be largest #aerospace employer in #Alabama http://ow.ly/dB0Ef Comment: We remember when Boeing said Alabamans couldn’t build… Read More

Boeing & SPEEA: shifting work brings its own hazards–and costs

Boeing & SPEEA: As we routinely do when it comes to trying to understand rhetoric of two warring parties (usually Airbus and Boeing but in this case SPEEA and Boeing), we reach out to third parties. We asked… Read More