Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
WTO slams EU, Airbus
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Sept. 22, 2016: The World Trade Organization (WTO) today found that the European Union not only did not cure its previous finding that Airbus received illegal financing aid in launching the A300 through A380, it further violated rules by obtaining launch aid for the A350 XWB.
Stories are here and here. The Seattle Times has some specific detail here.
The WTO has yet to issue a ruling on an appeal that Boeing failed to comply with the EU’s finding that the US provided illegal subsidies to Boeing. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the WTO is expected to do so.
The EU can appeal the latest finding, which allows the US to impose up to $10bn in sanctions. The US doesn’t have to do so but if it does, it doesn’t even have to be against Airbus–it can be against entirely unrelated industries.
Boeing issued a press statement that was predictable in its tone. It is reproduced below the jump.
Airbus, predictably, has a different spin. Its press release follows Boeing’s.
The WTO’s synopsis is here. The full report is here. The excerpt of the Conclusions and Findings are here. Summaries of key findings are here.
Boeing positioned to narrow market share gap
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Introduction
Market sahre data from February–little has changed since–for sales of the A320neo vs 737 MAX families.
Sept. 22, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Early this year Boeing officials began a new message in pushing back against market data that show Airbus captured about 60% of the single aisle market in the A320neo vs 737 MAX sector.
There’s plenty of time, Boeing said, for the MAX to catch up to the neo. Just look, officials said. Southwest Airlines and Ryanair ordered only a fraction of the MAXes they need to replace the 737s they currently operate.
Airbus, on the other hand, has hundreds more neos ordered by the likes of new airlines such as AirAsia and Indigo.
The implication is that the AirAsia and Indigo orders are not as solid as the potential for Southwest and Ryanair.
It’s a fair point.
But it’s not the whole story.
Summary
- An analysis of airlines that have not ordered the A320neo or 737 MAX families shows Boeing has more upside potential.
- Boeing companies still have thousands of orders yet to be placed.
- Forecasting ahead, Boeing has a solid prospect of narrowing the market share gap with Airbus—but probably not closing it entirely.
LCC changes face of long-haul
By Bjorn Fehrm
21 September 2016, ©. Leeham Co: Norwegian has announced that it has now flown its three millionth passenger on their long-haul network.
Figure 1. Norwegian Air Shuttle long-haul 787. Source: Wikimedia.
Norwegian first launched low-cost flights from Scandinavia to the U.S. in May 2013, followed by services from London to the US beginning in July 2014. Today, the airline offers 37 nonstop routes between Europe and the U.S. with a steady load factor of 90 per cent or more – in August this year, Norwegian’s long-haul flights achieved a 96 per cent load factor.
As we wrote last week the carrier will augment this network with the arrival of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 next spring. Norwegian has now obtained a UK Operating License which allows the airline access to markets in Asia, Africa and South America. With the MAX 8 and the 787 Norwegian will have a powerful fleet which can operate both on thin long-haul destination as well as larger ones.
Southwest Airlines, Ryanair and JetBlue is also eyeing long haul when they get their longer range 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo. Add to that the established AirAsia X and Jetstar are now on a steady long-haul expansion. The world-wide long-haul market is in for a major change. Read more
Weekly analyst update: focus on Boeing, Zodiac and defense stocks
Sept. 21, 2016: Today’s weekly analyst synopsis includes commentary on the US presidential election on defense stocks; some updates about Boeing and its recent appearance before the Morgan Stanley conference; and improvements at Zodiac, which affect Airbus.
Analysts continue to believe Boeing will further cut the 777 Classic production rate, with an annoucnement toward the end of this year.
Airbus, Boeing cost-cutting
Sept. 20, 2016: Airbus is planning cost-cutting measures to offset program write-offs and delivery delays, according to The Financial Times.
One of these delays involves the well-publicized problems with the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbo Fan engine on the A320neo.
The CEO of United Technologies, parent of PW, last week said engine deliveries could fall 50-100 engines short of the 200 originally projected for the year, with a likely shortfall of about 50.
The A320neo “gliders” (as an Airbus executive put it) are well known. Bombardier also said it will deliver about half the number of CSeries this year because of GTF issues.
Sam Pearlstein, the aerospace analyst at Wells Fargo, had this synopsis:
Pontifications: A380 “oh-woe-is-me” valid, if premature
By Scott Hamilton
Sept. 19, 2016, © Leeham Co. The real (very boring) headline should be: “Aircraft lease reaches end.”
This was the wry comment by Alasdair Whyte of Aircraft Investor last week, reporting on media coverage of Singapore Airlines’ decision to return its first Airbus A380 at the end of its lease term.
The “oh-woe-is-me” series of media stories ignored that Singapore routinely flips its fleet about every 10-12 years. SQ also has five A380s on order that, wonder of wonders, arrive as the earliest models become of age.
It is particularly distressing that one trade publication that should know better jumped on the woe-is-me bandwagon.
Russian-Chinese wide-body: Aircraft performance
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
September 19, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: In Part 4 of the article series, we put together an assumed complete Chinese-Russian wide-body aircraft with fuselage, wing, engines, etc. It is now time to understand what kind of performance that can be expected, given the data we have from the wide-body partners, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
Figure 1. Concept for new widebody airliner. Source: United Aircraft.
We will combine these data with the ones we have deduced as plausible to fill the gaps, given the time frame and technology level that UAC and COMAC intend to use.
Out will come a first estimate of what kind of performance such an aircraft can have in terms of efficiency and payload versus range capability.
Summary:
- We can use all the data we have gathered to make a first estimate of the efficiency of the Russian-Chinese wide-body.
- We also have enough information to do a first payload-range diagram and to compare that with the diagram for Boeing’s 787-9.
Boeing CEO reiterates production targets
Denis Muilenburg, CEO of The Boeing Co.
Sept. 15, 2016, © Leeham Co.: The CEO of The Boeing Co. is sticking with current guidance for production rates through the end of the decade despite “hesitation” in wide-body orders.
Dennis Muilenburg, speaking at a Morgan Stanley conference, said Boeing Commercial Airplanes will move up from today’s delivery stream of around 740-750 aircraft to “well over 900.”
Russian-Chinese wide-body: The aircraft, Part 4
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
September 15, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: In Part 3 of this series, we identified the type and size of wing we would have on a new Russian-Chinese wide-body. It’s now time to go through all the considerations around the engines for the aircraft.
Figure 1. Concept for new widebody airliner. Source: United Aircraft.
The aircraft would enter the market around 2025. We would have to decide on what size engine that would be needed, what engines would be available at the time and could this project motivate any new engine developments.
Summary:
- The Russian-Chinese wide-body as outlined would require engines in the size class of the Boeing 787-9/10.
- GE and Rolls-Royce have been mentioned as engine suppliers. The question would be: will they offer updated 787 engines or new designs and will Russia compete with its announced engine project for the aircraft?
The MAX’s first mission: Cross the Atlantic
By Bjorn Fehrm
14 September 2016, ©. Leeham Co: During 2014, we wrote several articles on what could be a good replacement for the Boeing 757-200Ws operated on trans-Atlantic missions. One of the aircraft we looked at was Boeing’s 737 MAX line.
We found that the most promising variant was the 737 MAX 8. It has a standard range without extra tanks of 3,600nm. Its practical maximum network range would be critically dependent on the cabin configuration. The best configuration would be with a light cabin such as that an LCC would use for transatlantic service—that is, not including heavy, lie-flat seats, but rather seats that might be configured with extra legroom and perhaps greater reclining ability. At the time, we looked at Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) as an example.
Figure 1. Norwegian Air Shuttle 737 MAX 8 artist impression. Source: Boeing.
Flight International now reports in their 13-19 September print magazine that Norwegian might be the first taker of the 737 MAX and that the missions would be trans-Atlantic.
The MAX 8 program is running ahead of schedule. Planned Entry Into Service (EIS) was summer 2017 with Southwest Airlines. Southwest still plans to take delivery of their first 737 MAX 8 at that time with operational service starting in September.
But Boeing is ready to deliver 737 MAX 8s as early as March 2017. The customer for these aircraft would be Norwegian and the planned use should be flights between Europe and US East coast. This means the first mission for the “short haul” 737 MAX should be to cross the Atlantic. Read more