Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
LNC’s Top 10 stories in 2018
Jan. 2, 2019, © Leeham News: Boeing dominated the Top 10 news stories last year, as measured by views.
Displacing Airbus at Hawaiian Airlines, which ordered the 787-9 and canceled the A330-800, led the readership.
Boeing’s flip of the Hawaiian Airlines order for the A330-800 to the 787-9 was the most read story of 2018. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Airbus’ launch of the A350-900ULR came in second.
Here are the Top 10 stories on Leeham News for 2018: Read more
2019 Outlook: Boeing’s decision on NMA is the headline to watch
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Introduction
Dec. 21, 2018, © Leeham News: It is a stretch to say 2019 is a pivotal year for Boeing.
There would have to be events of tsunami proportions to be pivotal for a company with revenues of more than $90bn.
But there is no doubt 2019 will be a very important year for Boeing.
Summary
- The headline to watch will be the widely anticipated launch of the New Midmarket Aircraft, also called the 797.
- The 777X begins flight testing next year. Sales are stalled for the newest airplane of the Boeing family.
- The proposed new joint venture between Boeing and Embraer is expected to be consummated by the end of the year.
Lion Air threatens to cancel MAX order; no impact to Boeing seen
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Introduction
Dec. 17, 2018, © Leeham News: Lion Air’s co-founder is threatening to cancel an order for more than 200 Boeing 737 MAXes following what he says is Boeing’s 
blaming the airline for the Oct. 29 crash of Flight 610.
All 189 people aboard the three month old 737-8 died when the plane plunged into the Java Sea 11 minutes after take-off from Jakarta.
Calling a Boeing statement issued Nov. 27 a “betrayal,” co-founder Rusdi Kirana Dec. 3 threatened to cancel to big Boeing order. He amplified his remarks Dec. 11.
Summary
- Lion Air has 229 MAXes scheduled for delivery between 2019-2026.
- The carrier has 148 A320neos scheduled for delivery, believed intended for its leasing company.
- Deliveries mostly overlap.
- Another source of A320neos is apparently available.
- Analysis of impact to Boeing
Is the A380 less economical than a 777-300ER?
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
December 06, 2018, © Leeham News.: Our Monday article “A380 suffers new blow, future remains bleak” describes how Air France hands back five of their 10 Airbus A380-800 to their lessor with start next year.
The article details the reasons behind the returns. Other media writes the A380 are notably more expensive to run than a Boeing 777-300ER. As so often, this is a serious case of apples and oranges.
Summary:
- To compare aircraft like-for-like, they need to be compared with the same rules for cabins and operations.
- When this is done, the A380 is not more expensive to operate than a 777-300ER.
- The caveat is: if filled to the same load factor.
Read more
Pontifications: A fresh look at the world’s worst aviation accident
By Scott Hamilton
Nov. 19, 2018, © Leeham News: Collision on Tenerife is a new book that dissects the worst accident in aviation history, the collision between two Boeing 747s operated by Pan American World Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
The accident on Tenerife Island on March 27, 1977, killed 583 passengers and crew on the two airplanes. Only 61 survived, all on the Pan Am flight.
It was the worst death toll of any aviation accident. Read more
Pontifications: Writing had been on the wall for years for Q400 sale; CRJ is next
By Scott Hamilton
Nov. 12, 2018, © Leeham News: The writing had really been on the wall for the past few years, regardless what the corporate line was: Bombardier was one day going to sell the Q400 program or shut it down.
Better to sell it and get at least some money out of it, no matter how small.
Bombardier agreed to sell the program to British Columbia-based Viking Air for a mere $300m–$250m, net of fees.
Ditto the CRJ program. It’s on life support. It’s a design dating to the 1980s, the passenger experience has long been eclipsed by the Embraer E-Jet and it will be also by Mitsubishi’s MRJ when this jet finally comes on line in 2020. Read more
How useful is an NMA, Part 5
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
November 8, 2018, © Leeham News.: Last week we flew a Boeing NMA from the Middle East. We found the aircraft would be well suited to serve this market.
Now we finish the coverage part of the series with checking how useful the NMA would be for North American based carriers.
Artists impression of the Boeing NMA. Source: The Air Current.
Summary:
- The North American carriers will have a useful aircraft in the NMA. It will cover the domestic US and Canadian markets, including Alaska and Hawaii.
- The smaller 797-6 will cover wide parts of South America and Europe dependent on the hub. The larger NMA has more of a coverage problem outside the North and Central American markets. Read more
WOW-Icelandair combo may help Airbus, hurt Boeing in A321LR/XLR-NMA campaigns
Nov. 5, 2018, © Leeham News: The announcement that Icelandair will acquire competing low cost airline WOW Air seemed the inevitable conclusion to the financially-strapped WOW, which aggressively expanded against the entrenched incumbent.
The combined carriers may help Airbus and hurt Boeing in current campaigns to sell the A321LR/XLR and NMA to Icelandair.
The combined carriers will serve 63 cities from their home base in Iceland. Icelandair serves 46 cities. WOW serves 40 and recently announced expansion to its 41st, Vancouver.
There will be 19 common cities and routes (see Chart). Read more
Pontifications: Pilots train for instrumentation mismatches
By Scott Hamilton
Nov. 5, 2018, © Leeham News: It was a week ago that Lion Air JT 610 crashed into the sea, just 13 minutes after takeoff.
The crash was the first involving the Boeing 737 MAX (in this case, the -8 model). The airplane was virtually new, having been delivered to the airline in August. Lion Air was not new to the 737, having flown the NG models for years.
Because the airplane crashed into the sea, recovery of the black boxes was not quick. The flight data recorder was recovered several days later but the cockpit voice recorder is still missing. The FDR data apparently has not yet been downloaded for a preliminary read. At least nothing has been made public, if it has. Read more
How useful is an NMA, Part 4
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
November 1, 2018, © Leeham News.: Last week we looked at how a Boeing NMA would function as a medium range airliner in the Asia-Pacific.
We now continue with flying the two aircraft variants from Middle East locations, exploring how large an area in Asia, Europe and Africa the aircraft would cover.
Artists impression of the Boeing NMA. Source: The Air Current.
Summary:
- The profile of an NMA fits well in a Middle East Carrier’s fleet. Dependent on location it covers all of Europe and most of Africa and Asia.
- As the NMA is a lesser aircraft than the present long-range aircraft used on the routes it would have impressive economics for this type of operation.