Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
There's more to real news than a news release.
Reader Comments Open Forum, week of April 6
LNA’s Comments Open Forum allows Readers opportunities to comment about any post (note, we said “Post”, not any “Topic”). All comments will be held for review and Moderation per our new policy. The Open Forum enables Readers to Comment on paywall articles (to the extent the paywall preview is open to all readers).
Maintain civility and follow Reader Comment rules.
A new Open Forum will be posted weekly.
“B747 freighters struggle as fuel costs soar”
“Analysis from Rotate highlights how yield increases and fuel surcharges are partly offsetting the impact of soaring jet fuel prices, but older, fuel-inefficient aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400F remain on the edge of profitability.”
“…With fuel prices peaking at USD 4.45 per gallon on March 20, profitability margins for the B747F quickly eroded. At a 60% fuel price increase, margins fell into negative territory, with yields needing to rise by at least 30–40% just to break even.”
“Rotate’s analysis warns that if high fuel prices persist, the transpacific trade lane will be most exposed. The B747-400F currently accounts for 22% of capacity on transpacific routes, the highest share among global lanes. Sustained high fuel costs could force operators to cut back, echoing 2022 when B747-400F capacity declined by 12% during a similar fuel price spike.
“Other lanes, such as Asia–Europe (13%), Intra-Asia (13%), and Africa–Europe (13%), also rely heavily on the B747-400F, but the transpacific—with its long stage lengths and heavy reliance on older freighters—stands out as the most vulnerable.”
https://www.stattimes.com/aviation/b747-freighters-struggle-as-fuel-costs-soar-1358682
===
Similar considerations apply, of course, to 4-engine passenger aircraft — which also have to contend with (impending) reduced load factors.
By most accounts, we have a period of sustained, highly-elevated fuel prices to absorb…coupled with reduced consumer sentiment due to elevated inflation.
15 years for an EASA Derivative TC.
Just when you think the Type Certification process is getting better, you get stories like this one. The Schempp Hirth Quintus M, a 23-meter motorized sailplane just got its TC having first flown in 2011. It’s actually a derivative of the Nimbus 4 and was added to its TCDS. The manufacturer was tight lipped about what took so long. Its a steal at 235,000 euros
https://nordicgliding-com.translate.goog/quintus-m-endeligt-easa-certificeret/?_x_tr_sl=da&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=da
As with all of Schempp Hirth’s gliders, it’s a stunningly good aircraft. I have time in a Nimbus 3 in the Cal Nev great basin, and they absolutely haul the mail. The N3 I flew had a 20-meter wingspan and carried 270 liters of water ballast. Wet the thing will cruise at 168 mph flaps -2 at 10Kfeet. Its a missile. At 20 k you need to slow the IAS down into the 140s to retain flutter margins. The Quintus is a leap beyond the old Nimbus 3s and its on my bucket list.
Air France – KLM Group has made a non-binding offer for a 44.9% minority stake in TAP Air Portugal, following a similar offer by Lufthansa Group. IAG chose not to make an offer.
This will be an interesting one to watch, as Lufthansa Group has amassed a continuous European block of network airlines under their umbrella, ranging from Brussels Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian and recently ITA Airways, not to mention a range of feeder, low-cost and leisure airlines.
TAP is already connected to the LH Group through membership in Star Alliance (nine European Star Alliance members, of which four are part of the LH Group), but I suspect that the sheer mass of the group, which includes the primary airlines of Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy, may stand in the way of EU regulatory approval.
By comparison, Air France – KLM Group is made of these two carriers, plus fully owned subsidiaries KLM Cargo, KLM Asia, Martinair, and low-cost airlines Transavia and Transavia France. Air France – KLM are linked through SkyTeam to seven European alliance members.
For Air France – KLM a regulatory approval may be easier to obtain, but it would likely mean that TAP would have to give up the long established membership in Star Alliance and join SkyTeam.
TAP also operates into Paris Orly (ORY), which is no longer served by Air France, and would probably need to switch operations to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
The coveted prize are TAP’s South American routes, where TAP has a well established network thanks to Portuguese historic connections to Brazil, but TAP operates also a sizable number of routes to North America and former colonies in Africa.
I would not want to place a bet on who will get the nod, but I suspect that Air France – KLM may have a small edge here.
Some of you may have strong opinions about TAP joining either (or no) group based on the respective airline alliances and your experience with them, but I ask you since when has passenger preference swayed airline mergers?
Pedro wrote……..
April 5, 2026
Where’s the boneyard for the E-3G??
E3 are stored at DM
DMs last available inventory report listed 13 E3 aircraft on hand. They may have the ability to RTS a couple depending on the cannibalization depth of those on hand. The storage locations listed were areas 23, 24 and 25.
Not the E-3Gs!!
PEDRO
THE USAF DISAGREES!
The latest invenrory at AMARG DMAFB, shows 12 E3G aircraft stored as well as a few older ones for a type total of 18
https://www.amarcexperience.com/ui/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=205&Itemid=274
Lmao!
AI summary:
> Total Inventory: The US Air Force maintains a total inventory of 31 E-3 Sentry aircraft, but only about 16-17 were considered **fully operational (airworthy) and upgraded to the E-3G Block 40/45 standard** as of early 2026.
PEDRO.
Its perfectly fine to laugh [Edited] when the USAF public facing inventory numbers, easily supported by satellite photographs disagrees with you. Rememner why the E3Gs were parked in 22. They were planning for wedgetails to be here. Since they are not, the USAF funding leglialation made it a deecree that the fleet of Gs would be maintained at 16 aircraft. The fleet was bigger and they designated a minimum quantity. Since the bulk of the entire fleet was converted to the G model spec, it makes sense that the bulk of the stored airrraft are G models.. Your quote is correct in that the 16 aircraft NOT IN STORAGE are all block 45s.
But lets go back to what you said.
Pedro
April 6, 2026
Not the E-3Gs!!
This is of course completely wrong and you are now deflecting away from stepping in it.
[Edited]
Why not focus on the issue at hand?
How fast/difficult to upgrade a couple to the current block 40/45 standard?
Or did the incident exposed the inherent vulnerabilities that’re irredeemable??
Iranian’s AF is not a peer competitor. Let’s get some facts straight: Iran destroyed ten or more high-value US military facilities including radars (one costs at least half a billion and takes five (to eight years) to build; the Pentagon evacuated families and personnel from their base each allowed no more than a backpack. Damages to the embassy at Riyadh is much greater than initially reported. The Lincoln CSG is operating no less than 1,000 km away from Iranian coast to be safer. The Pentagon has no solution to the problem. The answer they have is to suppress the release of satellite images indefinitely (quite laughable media blackouts when the tide is against you). Patriot missiles and parts for THAAD have to be removed from Korea: the cupboard is bare. Any competent planner can do their calculations. Trump has to walk back from his civilization elimination threat and seek peace. The Pentagon has spent twenty years in fighting GWOT and their competency has been degraded — no solution when facing a middle power suffering from decades of sanctions.
There were tactical gains but couldn’t win the war — a strategic defeat.
PEDRO WROTE
Why not focus on the issue at hand?
How fast/difficult to upgrade a couple to the current block 40/45 standard?
Good question — the naming here is a bit nuanced. The E-3G designation is specifically tied to the Block 40/45 upgrade package (both blocks together), not Block 45 alone. Here’s how it breaks down:
The E-3G is the Block 40/45 upgraded aircraft — there are no E-3Gs in earlier blocks. E-3Bs and E-3Cs were the Block 30/35 aircraft, and the Block 40/45 upgrade is what triggers the redesignation to E-3G. (Air & Space Forces Magazine)
So the answer is that E3Gs at AMARG at DM cannot be converted to block 40/45 because they are already in that configuration. IN SHORT. The airplanes you said werent tjere cannot be updates to Bloxk 40/45 nevause there is no such thing as a block 30/35 E3G to update.
If you have more questiona. Try calling these guys. AMARG Tour Information
In the past, AMARG bus tours have originated at the nearby Pima Air and Space Museum, phone 520.574.0462
At the present time the tour has been indefinitely suspended by request of the U.S. Air Force.
Habe a great day
Did some research:
The E-3 has been in service since the 1970s—meaning “the airframes are worn and **many spare parts are no longer in production**.”
“The E-3’s mission capable rate—the rate at which aircraft are able to perform at least one of their assigned missions—was 55.7 percent in 2024. The Air Force stopped publicly releasing MC rates after 2024.”
The USAF retired 15 E-3G in order to **improve the availability of the fleet and inject more needed spare parts**
“The AMARG does periodically release public inventory counts, though, and its latest from March 2025 states that the 18 E-3s are located in areas 23, 25 and 26. An unofficial website, the AMARC Experience, that closely tracks information about the Boneyard describes these areas as places where aircraft are usually in **“various states of completeness,” as they undergo a reclamation process to salvage critical spare parts**.”
I believe the picture here is pretty clear, don’t you agree?
Last but not the least, does the incident exposed its inherent vulnerabilities that are irredeemable??
More legacy tools from the last century for the 21th century? Still preparing to fight the last war?
One more thing: how much jet fuel is being gobbled up by flying these dinosaurs (using the original TF33 engines*) and used up in fighting this war by choice?
* Although E-3s operated by the UK (formerly), France, and Saudi Arabia were equipped with CFM56-2 turbofans. The high cost and planned replacement by the E-7 Wedgetail prevented a fleet-wide re-engine for the U.S.
PEDRO
Firsr you ask me if the story is clear, lacking nuance, no it isnt. Lets work on that here.
OK lets look at your question directly, since its finally a great discussion topic. First lets set the story. I supported the E3 program in a past life. So lets look at your questions and inject the nuances they are lacking. You said ………..
The E-3 has been in service since the 1970s—meaning “the airframes are worn and **many spare parts are no longer in production**.”
This is sort of true. You need nuance to make sense of it. Nuance matters. There are 2 kinds of spare parts, the kind you repeatedly need and those that you don’t routinely need. The airframe parts are in pretty good shape, the KC135 fleet commonality is very high and Airframe parts consumed by the E3G follows the KC135 and KC135R. Those are easy. The E3Gs a bit hard on electronics and those are not normally in production. But that’s not the end of the story. The electronics on the E3G have 6 layers of parts support.
Layer 1. the spares inventory
Layer 2. The local on-site repair shop.
Layer 3. Removal of the component from a flying aircraft.
Layer 4. Getting the part from depot
Layer 5. AMARG.
Layer 6. In extreme cases, restarting production of a critical part.
Now lets talk about how OPs happen. It starts with an airplane coming off sortie. The squawks for the flight are added to the routing each flight list od maintenance tasks. The airplane is scheduled for its next mission. NOW we ask if a parts needed on an aircraft scheduled to fly before this ones next mission can be met by removing the parts and moving them to fill a hole. So usually a few things get pulled and noted and get hot swapped into the next airplane up. The superstars in the overalls are constantly getting aircraft mission capable for the next sortie. It’s a never-ending process, a part from somewhere go’s into the next flying airplane. Its a maintenance dance we have done for decades on every program.
The E3G is a national asset and was supposed to be helped by the introduction of the Wedgetail, which I like a lot. When the Wedgetail program had problems and the sustainability of the E3Gs was threatened, the Airforce responded by parking a large number of perfectly flyable aircraft in storage. A few with minimal fatigue lives left were broken down for spares. The Aircraft in IMMEDIATELY FLYABLE STORAGE take a week or 10 days to unpickle and RTS. Again, nuance matters because short google searches miss so much. There are several layers of storage starting at immediately flyable storage to deep storage for cannibalization.
Now lets look at the difference between the Mission Capable aircraft rate and the ability to generate sorties. You can take a non-mission capable airpane, borrow the parts it needs from SOMEWHERE and all of a sudden fly the mission. This of coursc means that the donor aircraft becomes non-mission capable, BUT the number that really matters if the FLEET SORTIE RATE. the percentage of scheduled missions actually flown by the fleet.
The story is very clear. The wedgetail is necessary. The E3Gs can fly into the future but will take a lot of man hours for sustainment. Pulling the missions that could be flown by the wedgetail from the schedule will extend the E3Gs life into the future as the mission stack needing its unique capabiitites not found in the wedgetail will greatly extend its life.
Now we need to ask even pointier questions. Have drones and very cheap munitions eliminated the need for AWACS as the battlespace may outrun the speed human operators can react? Even more importantly. What about ACE?? The USAF dispersal program is primarily associated with the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept. This operational scheme enables U.S. forces to increase survivability while generating combat power by distributing and dispersing units and capabilities across multiple sites. The ACE concept is designed to complicate adversary planning and provide more options for joint force commanders. Stacking the #3s with KC aircraft on the same ramp was something we practiced NOT TO DO and we got hammered.
This was a lot better note to write than all of your previous WHAT ABOUT THIS responses. Maybe, just Maybe you might find value here in people who have experiences different from yours. This also goes back to all the explanations about scheduling the 737 production line, same thing.
Pedro
didn’t see this.
About the TF33 and fuel burn. A good question, but the answer is deeper than one might see at first glance. The E3Gs operate in a very challenging Eam and Vibratory environment. This means that you don’t just want to hang better engines on them unless you can accurately predict the interplay between the radar, computers and other systems in the aircraft. That’s a Herculean effort and quite frankly not worth it. If you want to go down the road seeing if you should spend a few hundred million dollars re-engining these and adding the risk of new failure modes being introduced, I just don’t understand it. These aircraft are national assets and need to be handled as such. If that means we avoid injecting new risk into the platform by sticking with a system we can support as is. I can’t risk the fleet to future unknowns. We need the wedgetail to unload this system.
As far as your comments on fighting a war of choice. Normally I leave wars to warriors and Politics to politicians. Trump is neither, he in my mind is closer to an embarrassment.
Alternative Hub for ME3 going forward? The government of Sri Lanka has offered an underutilized airport as a possible replacement for Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi connecting ops. Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport was built in 2013 but hasn’t been used much since. The geography is compelling, but moving airline operations would be a gargantuan task. Plenty of politics involved too.
https://simpleflying.com/video/ghost-airport-sri-lanka-proposes-solution-for-emirates-qatar-airways-amid-disruptions/
That airport has — nominally — just 16 gates, with only 2 gates currently in use.
It has 12 check-in desks.
🙈
16 gates? That won’t go very far…
How about Malaysia or Thailand?
Seems that AirAsiaX made a huge strategic mistake, bad timing… absolutely bad timing
It will bounce back in the Gulf. Travellers follow the lowest fares and in a few years it will be just another forgotten war.
Right now theres 100 Emirates flights in the air , all arriving or leaving Dubai
All it takes is one unfortunate drone/missile strike to end that.
#RussianRoulette
Meanwhile, over at another Gulf carrier:
April 7, 2026:
“Qatar Airways has grounded its entire fleet of Airbus A380 aircraft while cutting more than 12,000 scheduled flights for April and May 2026, suspending services to over 60 destinations as regional disruptions continue.”
“Reports that refunds are being offered through July suggest the carrier may be preparing for a prolonged period of disruption beyond the initial suspension window.”
https://news.az/news/qatar-airways-disruptions-key-facts-and-updates
I am not surprised that airplanes with two passenger decks, like the A380’s, are parked first.
On a per pound payload basis, they are actually not as economical as big twins.
The raison d’être for A380’s is their passenger carrying ability. Once you have loaded two decks full of passengers and stowed their baggage below in the holds, there is not much cargo space left.
But people in the Gulf countries still need to be fed, factories are still working, and trade is still going on.
If you combine lower passenger numbers (once the influencers have left Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar 😏) with continued, if not increased, demand for freight (as food imports from Iran have stopped and the Strait of Hormuz is closed), using widebody twins instead of airplanes with two passenger decks is a logical choice.
And as far as Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is concerned, the airport has 10 parking stands (if you park two narrowbodies each on stands A1L and A1R and A2L and A2R respectively.
That might just suffice for Oman Air, the least affected Gulf carrier, with a fleet of 33 aircraft.
The entire logistics, like how much fuel could be made available in foreign reserves-strapped Sri Lanka, to support such an operation is another question.
From cash conservation to cash crisis
It’s like burning a candle from both ends
How many enjoy paying for Russian roulette? Has the Hormuz reopened and food supply returned to normal? Once the power plants/desal plants are hit, there’ll be mass exodus and there’ll be lockdowns. Talk to those who can speak freely. Think a step or two ahead.
I should have researched this a bit more before posting. The proposal is wishful thinking by Sri Lanka. The MRIA was built to handle up to 1 million pax annually. Doha alone has over 50 million and Dubai almost 100 million. Even with MRIA expansion development it could handle 5-6 million.
Richard Aboulafia has some interesting comments about the history of US interventionalism with comparisons with the current war.
“Forever War (bad for commercial aero, great for defense) or TACO (fine for commercial aero, probably not good for defense). No outcomes are particularly happy. That’s why successive US administrations over the past 46 years didn’t strike Iran despite numerous provocations.”
https://richardaboulafia.com/march-2026-letter
What happened? One exits after another…
> Air India CEO Campbell Wilson resigns, report
AW: Tariffs Causing Cargo Shift Away From The US
> The numbers are clear: the Trump administration’s roller-coaster tariff policy hurt US air cargo operators in 2025 and shifted traffic patterns away from the US, with **declines particularly evident on the traditionally lucrative North America-Asia corridor**. [With emphasis added]
Reuters
> Fuel prices could keep rising for months even after the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday, deviating from President Trump’s assurances that consumers will see immediate relief when he ends the war with Iran.
“Jet Fuel Shortages May Persist for Months After Hormuz Reopens”
“The restoration of normal jet fuel flows around the world will take months, even if Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz today, the head of the International Air Transport Association warned.
““If it were to reopen and remain open, I think it will still take a period of months to get back to where supply needs to be given the disruption to the refining capacity in the Middle East, which is a critical part of the global supply of refined products, and not just jet fuel for other products as well,” Willie Walsh, director-general of IATA said, as quoted by Reuters.
“Soaring jet fuel prices since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran have hit the profitability of airlines, who have started raising air fares and grounding flights to contain the fallout from the Iran war, which has more than doubled aviation fuel prices over the past month.”
“”According to IATA data, jet fuel prices are up by 132.1% from a year ago, at $209 per barrel. Regionally, Asian jet fuel prices are the highest, at $228 per barrel, while North America enjoyed the lowest prices, at an average of $192 per barrel. Even that, however, is an increase of over 100% from a year ago, the data shows.”
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Jet-Fuel-Shortages-May-Persist-for-Months-After-Hormuz-Reopens.html
===
Last night’s ceasefire proposal calls for Hormuz to open for 2 weeks, as a goodwill jesture.
Next question: once the stranded ships there get out, how many will be willing to go back in in the near future?
And: what production/refining capacity in the GCC region is (long-term) offline due to war damage?
Strange title
> There’s a huge demand: The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner demolished after only 13 flying hours
Is this the “new normal”?
This was one of the test aircraft that had so many design and production issues that it was unable to be sold. This is a bait-click headline, not a new normal.
Boeing insiders called the first batch of 787’s the “Terrible Teens,” having required extensive modifications, being substantially overweight, and significantly differing from later production standards.
AFAIK this particular MSN was rejected for above reasons by the original customer airline.
First specimen of a new type commonly are heavier than later models, have lower maximum takeoff weights, which limits range, and lack the improvements that are incorporated with increased experience on the type, but the ‘Terrible Teens’ were worse than usual.
The then Boeing 777X project pilot already told me around 2016 that Boeing was thinking of keeping some of the first 787-8’s, giving some to museums, and scrapping the rest that could not be sold to airlines.
The 787-8 is also not particular popular with airlines and only 3 were sold since 2024, as the stretched ones are economically more attractive on a Cost per Available Seat Mile (CASM) basis. Early 787-8’s have also less commonality with later 787-8, -9 and -10 aircraft.
As Scott already said, typical clickbait from a site that I known for sometimes daft posts and lack of substance.
PEDRO
A while back they wrote decent articles about this aircraft particular being parted out. There IS a high demand for 787 parts and scrapping this undesirable aircraft mades perfect sense. No operator wanted it, so its highest value use is as spare parts, especially like new landing gear, engines and control surfaces.
It also happens when aircraft maintenance logs become unavailable, like all the Russian aircraft returned to vendors. A good many were declared economic losses and the insurance company’s parted them out filling warehouses with yellow tags. Its all about the Dollars
“In his first major interview since being confirmed as DHS Secretary, Mullin told Fox News that the agency is taking “a hard look” at international airports located in sanctuary cities, suggesting they could have their customs services withdrawn entirely, effectively preventing them from handling international flights.”
“Major cities on this list include Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Seattle, while entire states are also listed, including California. Governor of California Gavin Newsom labeled Mullin’s suggestion “a stupid idea,” saying that halting international travel would worsen the country’s economic crisis.”
https://simpleflying.com/jfk-lax-us-airports-international-flight-ban/
Seems extremely unlikely that this will happen, but you never know..
> [Delta] Capacity, however, fell 3% in the first three months of 2026 compared with last year “as continued investment in fleet renewal drove premium seat mix higher.”
=======
> Delta is “meaningfully reducing capacity in the current quarter with a downward bias until the fuel situation improves,” CEO Ed Bastian says on the airline’s Q1 earnings call Wednesday.
“Mammoth achieves certification for 777-200LR converted freighter, eyes partner in China”
“US aircraft conversion specialist Mammoth Freighters has received Federal Aviation Administration certification for its cargo-modified 777-200LR, a milestone coming as the firm accelerates production and plots global expansion, including in China.”
https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/2026/04/mammoth-achieves-certification-for-777-200lr-converted-freighter-eyes-partner-in-china/
1. There’s some interesting data:
> Mammoth’s 777-200LRMF has 104,800kg (231,000lb) of payload and 4,800nm (8,890km) of range. Boeing’s 777F has similar specifications.
> Mammoth’s 777-300ERMF will have 98,000kg of payload and 4,800nm of range
2.There’re seven Mammoth conversion lines, but the max. available pool of feedstock is est. at about 40 to 50 only and it is seeking more lines (say from China) to join??
#########
Going over some old info, notice that AC has quietly canceled four orders of 787-10 last year and announced an order of A350-1000 this year. Some background info:
“Air Canada ordered the newly updated 787-10 IGW” back in September 2023, expecting/being promised delivery “within two years” i.e. before the summer season of 2025 but got none, not a single one. So is that why they canceled four that will arrive “too late” and made a bet with BA’s competitor?
“Airbus pushes A350 freighter toward final validation”
“Comprehensive ground testing has commenced for the A350F, with new procedures tailored to its freighter-specific innovations.”
“The ground test campaign — conducted during the aircraft’s final assembly — is focused on validating critical systems and technologies developed specifically for A350F’s role as a next-generation freighter. These include major modifications from the passenger A350 variant and entirely new systems designed for efficient and reliable cargo operations.”
“The ground test campaign includes a comprehensive set of tests covering the A350F’s freighter-specific technologies, such as:
-Main-deck cargo loading system, ensuring the robust integration and operation of the loading mechanisms.
-Main-deck cargo door, cycling and system verification to confirm performance under operational conditions.
-Dedicated courier area, a new compartment with seating for up to 10 occupants.
-Anti-tail-tipping warning system, protecting the aircraft and personnel during loading.
-Main-deck drainage system, ensuring effective drainage of water and other fluids from the cargo hold.
-New water and waste systems, multi-zonal air distribution, oxygen system, for key life-support subsystems.
-Smart Freighter connectivity and video monitoring systems, advancing onboard operations and visibility.”
https://www.compositesworld.com/news/airbus-pushes-a350-freighter-toward-final-validation
Airbus receives two orders of A220, ten each, for a total of twenty A220.
The A220 family has roughly 959 firm orders.
And loses 10 A220’s from the backlog , courtesy of the failed start-up… “Odyssey Airlines”.☺️
A 15 year old dormant order no less.
AB delivered 60 frames in March, namely:
41 A320/321neo
8 A220
8 A350
3 A330neo
3 of those A350s went to Emirates, which now has 17 A350s in service.
In March, AB also received 331 orders and 10 cancellations.
51 of those orders were for widebodies.
https://airinsight.com/airbus-orders-and-deliveries-in-march-2026/
https://www.scramble.nl/civil-news/airbus-march-2026-orders-deliveries
article: Airbus delivers 500th A220 aircraft as March totals show decisive ramp up
“So far, our game-changing single-aisle has carried over 220M passengers across nearly 2.000 routes, offering better fuel efficiency, lower CO₂ emissions and a roomy and bright cabin.”
Chat GPT…what aircraft is direct competitor airbus A220?
Simple way to think about it
Closest rival: Embraer E195-E2
Boeing alternative: 737 MAX 7
Airbus internal alternative: A319neo
Category: “small narrowbody / large regional jet”
article title Boeing Opens New 737 MAX Production Line at Largest Factory in the World
“Boeing Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave described the new production line as an “exact replica” of the three lines already operating in Renton. Anything above a rate of 47 aircraft per month will be built in Everett.
Boeing hopes to eventually reach a MAX production rate of 63 planes per month, though Boeing’s 737 program manager Katie Ringgold noted this would take a number of years.”
This summer??
FG: Boeing to launch new 737 assembly line in Everett this summer
#########
Not a P&W engine durability issue
AW: SalamAir CEO Bemoans Durability Of Leap-1A Engines
> one-third of its Airbus A320neo-family fleet is grounded because of issues with their CFM International Leap-1A engines.
> “In detail, five Neos are grounded, 10 are operational and 12 engines are undergoing repairs,” he said.
FT: European airports face jet fuel shortages within three weeks
FT: Chinese and Indian airports chase hub status amid Iran disruption
> Before the conflict began in February, one in three travellers journeying between Asia and Europe passed through a Middle Eastern airport such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha.
> Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group said its bookings for business travel transiting through mainland China rose 69 per cent.
> According to data provider OAG, Chinese airlines have added more than 3,000 flights from China to European airports this summer
[It takes decades of efforts, no overnight success.]
#########
> JUST IN: Inflation soared in March to 3.3% y/y–> the highest annual rate since May 2024. The war in Iran is squeezing middle income and lower income households.
**Inflation in March alone rose 0.9%. That’s the biggest one-month jump since June 2022**
Gas jumped +21% in March
Fuel oil soared +31% in March
Airfares +15% in March
Food was flat for the month, but is likely to go up later in the spring/summer.
Also just in (yesterday):
“US Consumer sentiment sinks to all-time low amid cost-of-living stress from Iran war”
“Consumers were already frustrated by the persistence of high prices, and they perceived labor markets as weakening. Then, gas prices shot up, leaving consumers feeling even worse.”
“The previous low was 50-flat, which was hit in June 2022 at the peak of pandemic-era inflation.
“For context, the long-term average of the index, which goes back to 1952, is about “84.”
““Yes, it is the first time we’ve dipped below 50, but we’ve been at extremely low levels for most of the past year,” Hsu said.”
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/nation-world/consumer-sentiment-sinks-to-all-time-low-amid-cost-of-living-stress-from-iran-war-university-of-michigan-surveys-of-consumers-economy-business-conditions-gas-prices-inflation-affordability-politics
article Toray introduces surcharge pricing to carbon fiber amid Strait of Hormuz blockade
“Toray Industries will introduce surcharge pricing on carbon fiber composite materials and other products as an emergency measure to address skyrocketing costs for petrochemical feedstocks and other raw materials driven by the military conflict with Iran and de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. ”
“The global economy is facing new risk factors, which include soaring costs for raw materials, fuel and logistics due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade, as well as disruptions to raw material sourcing. Combined with continued stagnation in the Chinese economy and a highly unpredictable U.S. tariff policy, the global economic outlook is becoming increasingly uncertain”
article title France to ditch Windows for Linux to reduce reliance on US tech
“France is trying to move on from Microsoft Windows. The country said it plans to move some of its government computers currently running Windows to the open source operating system Linux to further reduce its reliance on U.S. technology.
In a statement, French minister David Amiel said (translated) that the effort was to “regain control of our digital destiny” by relying less on U.S. tech companies. Amiel said that the French government can no longer accept that it doesn’t have control over its data and digital infrastructure.”
The same thing started in various other European countries last year — notably Germany.
There’s also a migration away from US cloud providers.
On another note, various European pension funds and brokers are ending their relationships with US custody banks and switching to purely European custody banks instead — for the same basic reason.
Ultimately, Trump’s policies are going to lose the US a lot of recurring revenue.
It’s confusing. How many E-3G are there (including those stored and parted-out)??
According to the Air and Space Force magazine:
Inventory: Eight (E-3B); 23 (E-3G)
Is this information outdated?
Generals always prepare to fight the last war.
pedro.
I was watching this from the sidelines. Definitive numbers are a little bit difficult at times, BUT you might start reading Air Forces Magazine. Each month they go over all the losses in all the worlds air forces. I find it makes for interesting reading.
https://www.key.aero/airforcesmonthly/latest-issue
Also I read this 👇
> Record US jet fuel exports last week
“IndiGo scripts history as first airline to take 500 Airbus deliveries amid industry turmoil”
“As IndiGo integrates the 500th Airbus aircraft into its fleet, the occasion marks a big achievement for the airline, the manufacturer, and the continued expansion of the Indian market”
https://www.firstpost.com/business/indigo-scripts-history-as-first-airline-to-take-500-airbus-deliveries-amid-industry-turmoil-13999120.html
“Progress: Qantas’ 1st Airbus A350-1000ULR Rolls Out With New Rolls-Royce Engines”
“Qantas’ long-awaited Airbus A350-1000ULR has been spotted on the apron with its new Rolls-Royce engines at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) this week. This aircraft is the backbone of the airline’s Project Sunrise initiative, which plans to offer non-stop flights from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) to the likes of London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and New York JFK Airport (JFK).”
https://simpleflying.com/qantas-1st-airbus-a350-1000ulr-rolls-out-new-rolls-royce-engines/
This site that you quote has an uncanny capacity for producing chaff while pretending to be ‘in the know’.
Like that sensationalist masterpiece about a ‘room’ [sic] under the A350 flight deck. (In case you wonder, the ‘room’ they referred to is the E&E [avionics] compartment that has been placed under the cockpit since the 707, if not longer.
So, what’s the deal about the ‘new’ engines for the QF A350-1000ULR?
I don’t know, because AFAIK they are still Trent XWB-97’s, but probably the latest version, which is already being fitted to other A350-1000’s.
So maybe the sensationalist babble refers to the fact the engines are not second-hand?
I have done a few post production test flights and deliveries and what really would have been noteworthy if any of these airplanes would have been fitted with second-hand engines.
IMO, one cannot take their pieces serious; it is just overdramatized clickbait.
Quietly and secretly, Delta ordered more A339 and A359 from Airbus. The A330Neo now has 500 orders. Airbus will have to increase the production of the A330Neo for further slots available early.
Airbus previously announced it will increase production of the A330 from 4/mo to 5/mo.
The Delta order for 31 A330neo’s and A350’s last January was well publicized in the media.
Was there another one?
China’s HNA, COMAC sign deal for 200 C919, 100 ARJ21 jet
“Chinese conglomerate HNA Group [HNAIRC.UL] has agreed to purchase 200 C919 and 100 ARJ-21 planes from the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC), the companies said on Saturday.
HNA and COMAC said in a statement that they had signed a strategic cooperation under which HNA had agreed to introduce and operate the jets in China and in overseas markets such as Africa over an unspecified period of time”
The TF33, a.k.a JT3D, is actually quite good when you consider what these engines replaced.
TF33/JT3D turbofans were picked up from the second-hand market when airlines replaced their old JT3D powered 707’s with more modern equipment.
There was minute demand for them in the civilian sector and they offered the Air Force an attractive option to replace aging straight J57 turbojets.
They were cheap to procure, readily available and brought a substantial reduction in fuel consumption when compared to the original J57’s.
Granted, CFM56’s would have been even more economical, but they were rather expensive.
The Air Force was quite proud of that move and gave the initiator of the conversion program even a medal, if my addled brain informs me correctly.