Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 20. May 2, 2025
- Supplier Howmet exceeds expectations despite tariffs May 1, 2025
- Airbus 1Q2025 results: So far, so good, but US tariffs make future results unpredictable May 1, 2025
- Does an Airbus A220-500 need a new wing and engines? May 1, 2025
- Teamsters, Boeing have a new contract April 29, 2025
Comparing A350s, 787s and A380s
Editor’s note: We don’t typically do “trip reports;” this isn’t the scope of LNC. But occasionally one crosses our desk that we find of interest. One of our readers, William Bain, provided the following to us and we thought it interesting to share.
By William Bain
Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 business class. Photo by William Bain.
I flew Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350 service from Singapore to Amsterdam. The outbound flight was operated by 9V SMD and the inbound flight by 9V SME. I was seated in the premium economy cabin.
By way of starting, I think people spend too much time say this or that model is better, as such, than that model. There’s been a fair bit of that in relation to the A350 and Boeing 787. But in my view much, if not most, of the comfort factor is down to the configuration used by specific airlines. For example, I was underwhelmed by the Qatar Airways 787 but very much liked the ANA 787.
Bjorn’s Corner; Turbofan engine challenges; Part 6
By Bjorn Fehrm
December 08, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: We have now come to the turbine in our trip through a modern turbofan. The turbines make up the rear of the engine, before the propelling nozzle.
The turbines are the workhorses in the engine. They take the energy released by the fuel in the combustion chamber and convert it to shaft hp to drive the fan or compressors.
Figure 1. GasTurb principal representation of a three-shaft turbofan like our reference Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. Source: GasTurb.
The hotter they can operate, the better. They can then generate more hp on a smaller size turbine. The temperature of the gas entering the high pressure compressor is one of the key parameters of a gas turbine. It dictates the power efficiency of the core and how much work it can perform to drive the fan and the compressors. Read more
Pontifications: Making sense of WTO Boeing subsidy case
By Scott Hamilton
Dec. 5, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Far be it from me to say, I told you so.
But I did.
When Washington State extended the Boeing 787 tax breaks in November 2013 to the 777X through 2040, I wrote and told everyone who would listen (and even those who wouldn’t) that the 787 tax breaks had been found illegal. So extending them was extending illegal tax breaks.
Bjorn’s Corner: Turbofan engine challenges, Part 5
By Bjorn Fehrm
December 02, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: We will now look at the combustor area in our series on modern turbofan engines. There is a lot of activity in this area, as it sets the level of pollution for the air transportation industry for some important combustion products.
We will also finish off the compressor part of our series by looking at the bleeding of cooling air for the engine and for servicing the aircraft with air conditioning and deicing air.
Figure 1. GasTurb principal representation of a three-shaft turbofan like our reference Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. Source: GasTurb.
The amount of air which is tapped from compressor stages for cooling and other purposes can exceed 20% of the core flow (some of the flow paths are shown in Figure 1). At that level, it has a marked influence on the performance of the engine. Read more
For Airbus and Boeing, it’s about Alabama, Alabama, Alabama
US Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) is President-Elect Donald Trump’s choice for US Attorney General. He’s a close ally of Airbus. Photo via Google images.
Nov. 29, 2016, (c) Leeham Co.: When it comes to the prospect of imposing trade sanctions or retaliatory tariffs on Airbus for airplanes ordered by US customers, the European manufacturer has some advantages over Boeing few people apparently have thought about.
Alabama, Alabama, Alabama
One is called Alabama. It’s where Airbus is producing A320 family members for US customers.
Alabamans voted by 1.76-to-1 for Donald Trump. Sixty-three percent to 35%.
Donald Trump tapped Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama to be his Attorney General. Sessions was one of the first in Congress to endorse Trump. He served as an advisor throughout the campaign.
Sessions is a big supporter of Airbus.
Sen. Richard Shelby, the other Alabama Senator in Congress, is also a big supporter of Trump. And of Airbus.
It’s highly likely that Sessions and Shelby will bend Trump’s ear in favor of not levying tariffs on Airbus planes.
Airbus, Boeing claim victory in today’s WTO ruling over Washington State tax breaks
- Airbus claims “knockout blow.”
- Boeing claims “complete victory.”
- WTO Summary of findings and ruling.
- All the WTO documents are here.
- Opinion: No sanctions will be levied on Airbus or Boeing.
- Seattle Times on why nothing will happen with this ruling.
- Airbus YouTube: WTO disputes in 3.5 minutes.
- Scott Hamilton’s column in Forbes.
Nov. 28, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Airbus claims that in a huge blow to Boeing and Washington State, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled today that the $8.7bn tax subsidy package Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Legislature approved for the 777X program is a “prohibited subsidy.”
This is the most onerous finding of illegal subsidies under WTO rules, and one that is rarely determined.
Boeing said the WTO “today rejected virtually all of the European Union’s challenges to the Washington state tax incentives” and declared a “complete victory.”
Full Airbus, Boeing statements on WTO ruling
Nov. 28, 2016: Here are the full statements from Airbus and Boeing about the WTO ruling today finding Boeing received prohibited subsidies from Washington State for the 777X development:
Pontifications: A fresh perspective at Boeing Commercial is sorely needed
By Scott Hamilton
Nov. 28, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Boeing last week named an outsider, Kevin McAllister, as the chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Aircraft (BCA).
I think this has the potential to be an invigorating move.
McAllister comes to BCA from his position as CEO of GE Aviation Services.
I don’t know McAllister and have no opinion whether he will be good, bad or mediocre. But I do like the idea of bringing an outsider in to run BCA. (My insider favorites were Stan Deal and Beverly Wyse.)
Here’s why.
Emirates feels low-cost, long-haul competition
Note: Nov. 24 and 25 are Thanksgiving Holidays in the US. Our next post will be Monday.
By Bjorn Fehrm
23 November 2016, ©. Leeham Co: Emirates Airline president Tim Clark says the carrier “has to change its approach to long-haul pricing to combat increasing competition” after presenting a half year 2016 profit which plunged 64% on 9 November.
The reason is that traditional mainline carriers are entering the low-cost, long-haul market in addition to the established LCC entrants: Norwegian Air Shuttle, AirAsiaX and Wow Air.
Figure 1. Emirates long-haul A380. Source: Emirates.
Emirates will add new low-cost fares to keep its growing fleet of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 filled. Clark states this is necessary and that the airline will not back down on its plans for additional aircraft. It will be a period “of fierce competition as more and more international network carriers are entering low-cost, long-haul,” declares the COO.
What has changed? Isn’t Emirates the Kings of competitive long-haul travel? Read more
Norwegian, others have vision; US airlines don’t
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Introduction
Dec. 5, 2016, © Leeham Co. Last weeks’ approval by the US Department of Transportation of a license for Norwegian Air Shuttle to operate long-haul, low-cost service to and from the US drew immediate fire from labor unions over anticipated US job losses.
Iceland’s Loftleider Airlines, one of the first trans-Atlantic low-cost carriers. Photo via Google images.
But their view is too narrow.
It means more jobs for Boeing and its supply chain, which are also heavily unionized. It means benefits to US exports.
But overlooked is the next evolution in long haul travel that starts next year.
Summary
Read more
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Posted on December 5, 2016 by Scott Hamilton
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