Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 5. Turbofan design problems April 26, 2024
- Airbus 1Q2024 results: Airbus CEO: “A350 in-service experience drives positive reputation and orders” April 25, 2024
- A350-1000 or 777-9? Part 3 April 25, 2024
- Boeing CEO promises company is turning around…again April 24, 2024
- Solid start for stand-alone GE Aerospace despite cuts to LEAP output April 23, 2024
Podcast: 10 Minutes About the A350F and the Impact on Boeing
Aug. 3, 2021, © Leeham News: Airbus last week launched the A350 freighter program. This is the first real challenge to Boeing’s decades-long dominance in the freighter market that poses a real threat.
LNA wrote on April 6 that Boeing’s dominance was under threat. The A350F makes this a reality, along with the ICAO emission standards that take effect in 2027.
Boeing CEO David Calhoun said last week he’s “confident” the long-delayed 777-XF might be the next program launched.
In today’s 10 Minutes About, we discuss these and other topics.
Podcast: 10 Minutes About SSTs
Scott Hamilton and Pontifications are taking the day off.
July 5, 2021, © Leeham News: Development of small supersonic transports (SSTs) seemed, for a time, a fad. Three companies announced plans to develop an SST business jet with two of them expanding the concepts to be small passenger airliners, each with less than 100 seats.
Today, only one company appears remaining. Aerion collapsed recently for lack of funding. Boom remains, announcing a “commercial agreement” with United Airlines early this month for 15 Overture SSTs and options for 35 more. The agreement, however, is highly conditional.
LNA discussed the agreement in a previous 10 Minutes About podcast. Today’s 10 Minutes About is a technical discussion about designing an SST.
Podcast: 10 Minutes About Airbus’ Design and Production transformation
June 30, 2021 © Leeham News: Yesterday’s 10 Minutes About discussed Boeing’s drive toward a dramatic new way to design and produce new airplanes. Today’s 10 Minutes About looks at how Airbus is approaching the same challenge.
Podcast: 10 Minutes About the Boeing Design and Production Moonshot
June 29, 2021, © Leeham News: “Most often when a new airplane is developed by either side, it is usually developed around a propulsion package that offers 15% to 20% improvement with respect to efficiency versus the one it’s displacing. That’s the way it’s happened over a long period of time,” Boeing CEO David Calhoun said on the most recent earnings call.
“I don’t believe the next generation of an engine can deliver that kind of performance. Therefore, whatever cost-efficiency ultimately and whatever performance advantages are derived from the next airplane in my view are going to come from the way it’s engineered and the way it’s manufactured. All [will be] with a focus on a lower cost per seat when we get it to the marketplace. And, yes, [it will have] a more sustainable package with respect to the environment.”
Just how practical is this approach? Today’s 10 Minutes About discusses Boeing’s moonshot in design and production for its next airplane, whatever it is.
Podcast: 10 Minutes About the United-Boom SST agreement
June 8, 2021, © Leeham News: United Airlines and the start-up company, Boom, last week announced an agreement by which UAL will acquire up to 50 Boom Overture SSTs.
There are some conditions Boom must meet before United will accept any airplanes. Furthermore, Boom must raise a lot of money to complete development.
In today’s episode of 10 Minutes About, LNA discusses the commercial agreement and just a few of the issues facing development of the Overture.
Related articles:
- Will Boom succeed where Concord failed?
- Is Boom good business for Virgin Atlantic?
- The Boom SST engine problem, Part 1
- The Boom SST engine problem, Part 2
- The Boom SST engine problem, Part 3
- The Boom SST engine problem, Part 4
- The Boom SST engine challenges, summary
- 15-Part Series on the proposed Supersonic revival
10 Minutes About: Boeing, Calhoun’s extension and Smith’s retirement
April 21, 2021, (c) Leeham News: Boeing announceed April 20 that the Board extended CEO David Calhoun’s mandatory retirement age from 65 to 70. Calhoun was 64 on April 18 and had one year to accomplish everything that needs to be done.
Now, with six years, he can finish structuring Boeing and presumably launch a new airplane program.
Also announced on April 20 is that Greg Smith, the chief financial officer and EVP of strategy and other things, will retire July 9. Smith was named CFO in 2011. Some thought he might be in line to become CEO once Calhoun stepped down at age 65.
Richard Aboulafia of The Teal Group is LNA’s guest on this episode of 10 Minutes About to discuss these developments.
Podcast: 10 Minutes About the Boeing Board of Directors
Feb. 23, 2021, © Leeham News: Last week, Boeing announced that two members of the Board—Arthur Collins and Susan Schwab—will retire at the end of their terms in April. No replacements have been named yet.
Earlier, Ambassador Nikki Haley resigned over policy differences related to the COVID crisis CARES act. Haley was not replaced. More recently Caroline Kennedy resigned from the Board. She was replaced by the former CEO of the accounting firm KMPG.
Boeing’s 12-member Board is heavy on representatives of the defense and finance industries. It has ex- politicians, pharmaceutical and communications members. But other than Lawrence Kellner, who is from the airline industry, there is nobody representing commercial aviation manufacturing, design, engineering or production.
LNA’s podcast today takes a look at these facts and Boeing’s Board of Directors.
Podcast: 10 Minutes About Sustainable Air Transport
Feb. 16, 2021, © Leeham News: Electrically powered aircraft. Or hybrids. Or bio-fuels. Or hydrogen.
These are the alternative suggested by environmentalists and industry to reduce carbon emissions by the airlines.
Which makes sense? Which is practical? Today’s 10 Minutes About considers these factors.
Podcast: 10 Minutes About the Airbus A330neo
Feb. 3, 2021, © Leeham News: The Airbus A330neo is technically a good airplane. But sales never took off. There are only 331 orders for the airplane and easily more than 100 are iffy. Airbus publicly said there was potential for 1,000 orders when it launched the program. Why hasn’t the neo taken off any better? This week’s 10 Minutes About the A330neo explains why.