Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Ortberg becomes more cautious about 737 MAX production ramp timing
By Scott Hamilton
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. Credit: Getty Images.
July 30, 2025, © Leeham News: Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg began to walk back just a bit about the timeline to ramp up production of the 737 MAX during the 2Q2025/1H2025 earnings call.
It’s the first time that LNA has seen a little equivocation.
In previous interviews and earnings calls, Ortberg said that once the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approves, Boeing would ramp up production of the 737 MAX every six months in increments of five.
For example, Boeing is currently producing the MAX at a rate of 38/mo (although July may fall short, according to tracking by Planespotters). The next rate, subject to FAA approval, is 42/mo (yes, this is only four, not five, but this is the figure Boeing has said). After that, Ortberg has said repeatedly that rate breaks in increments of five would be every six months. LNA was skeptical from the start.
Jamie Baker and Mark Streeter, the airline analysts for JP Morgan, came up with an apt term when discussing the Southwest Airlines guidance that applies equally here: “Very Aggressive and Seemingly Unobtainable (or VASU for short).”
In response to questions from an analyst, Ortberg began walking back on the 2Q earnings call yesterday.
Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg, “Our recovery plan is taking hold.”
By Karl Sinclair
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. Credit: Getty Images.
July 29, 2025, © Leeham News: The Boeing Company (BA) President and CEO Kelly Ortberg is confident that, despite there still being work to do, he likes the direction that the company is headed in.
“We’re making steady progress to stabilize our business, strengthen development program execution, and change our culture to set up for the future,” he said on the 1H2025 earnings call.
While the company still reported a loss for the quarter, it was less than expected, and there were signs of improvement in areas that were projected to take longer to turn around.
Related Article
• Boeing 1H2025: Turnaround underway
Despite projections in the first quarter that 2025 would be a loss-making year for the company, along with a substantial drain on cash reserves, management was pleased to note that things were progressing along in a timely and orderly manner.
“I’m pretty pleased with where we are through the first half and through my first year. I’m not surprised with the performance of the company and the recovery. We’ve got great people in the company,” said Ortberg.
Boeing is first and foremost a commercial aircraft manufacturer. The company will go as that division does.
Boeing 1H2025: Turnaround underway, led by revenue jump at Boeing Commercial and positive results at Defense
By Karl Sinclair
First half 2025 financial results.
July 29, 2025, © Leeham News: The Boeing Company (BA) released 1H2025 results, and while the corporation still posted a net loss of ($643) for the first six months of 2025, strong revenues at Boeing Commercial Aircraft (BCA) indicate that the company has turned the corner and is back on track.
Revenues leapt $8.8bn, year-over-year (YoY), as did margins, which increased $1.747bn. This resulted in positive earnings of $285m for the period, a turnaround of $1.461bn.
The net loss for the period was driven by interest expense of $1.418bn, an increase of $176 YoY. However, results are a marked improvement over 2024, when the company had a loss of $1.794bn. Service revenues showed a marginal increase, while sales of products increased $8.507bn.
Boeing Commences 777-8 Freighter Production
July 28, 2025, (c) AIN: Boeing has officially begun series production of the 777-8 Freighter at its widebody factory in Everett, Washington. About 100 Boeing employees gathered inside the 777X Composite Spar Shop on July 21 to observe as a robotic arm ceremoniously drilled the first hole in a 777-8F wing spar.
It is the first of 938 holes that will be drilled into every wing spar assembled at that location, explained Ben Linder, vice president and chief engineer for Boeing’s 777 and 777-8F programs. Drilling all 938 holes with the automated robot arm, which Boeing calls the Spar Assembly Robotic Cell (SPAC), will take five eight-hour shifts, he told reporters at the Everett facility.
The full story may be found on AIN here.
What’s the next new aircraft? Part 1
Subscription Required
Part 1 of 5
By Scott Hamilton
July 17, 2025, © Leeham News: Some urge Boeing to take the plunge “now” to launch a new airplane program.
Institutional knowledge is slipping away, these people say. Boeing hasn’t launched a new airplane since December 2003 (the 787), they note. The 737 MAX is selling at a poor second to the Airbus A320neo family. Boeing continues to lose market share.
This illustrates the variety of aircraft being discussed for the next decade or more. Boeing already decided to nix the Transonic Truss Brace Wing aircraft (#2). Credit: Leeham News.
On the other hand, Airbus is in no hurry to launch a new airplane program—or so it says. It can’t keep up with current demand.
Beginning today, LNA will take a five-part look at what the potential new airplanes and/or airplane technologies are for the coming decade or more. Having recently attended the Paris Air Show, we have the latest to supplement our years of study in this arena.
We look at 13 airplanes and concepts (we don’t examine eVTOLs and pure-battery-powered aircraft). These are numbered for identification—not for any ranking of likelihood of proceeding to a real program.
Today’s Part 1 identifies and describes the 13 aircraft.
Boeing ponders 16/mo production rate for 787
By Scott Hamilton
July 16, 2025, © Leeham News: Boeing is considering boosting the production of its 787 widebody jet to 16/mo, LNA has learned. This record rate would be at its Charleston (SC) plant and would exceed the previous high of 14/mo split evenly between its Everett (WA) facility and Charleston.
Boeing 787-9. Credit: Boeing.
The Charleston plant currently has enough space to produce 12 787s per month, a 2020 analysis by LNA concluded.
Related Article
At long last, Boeing appears near certification and EIS for 777X
Subscription Required
By Scott Hamilton
July 14, 2025, © Leeham News: Boeing is still months away from receiving certification of its newest, largest jet—the 777-9—and the company didn’t bring one of the test airplanes to the Paris Air Show last month. However, officials showcased the passenger and freighter models in an experience center during the major international event.
Justin Hale has the imposing title of Customer Leader & Senior Product Marketing Director for 777X and Production Freighter aircraft
The 777X comes in three models: the 465-seat 777-9; the 777-8F cargo airplane; and the 777-8 passenger model, which is an ultra-long-range (ULR) aircraft. The program was launched in 2013 at the Dubai Air Show (even though the first order, from Lufthansa Airlines, was placed earlier). Entry into service (EIS) was planned for the first quarter of 2020 with an unofficial goal of December 2019.
Flight testing revealed some technical issues with the 115,000 lb thrust GE9X engines. These required engine removal and return to GE Aerospace for redesign, delaying the program by nine months. Further flight testing revealed some uncommanded nose-down flight anomalies, requiring software redesign.
Then two fatal crashes of the Boeing 737 MAX in October 2018 and March 2019 revealed design and certification problems with the MAX. Scrutiny by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the MAX program expanded to include a comprehensive review of the work done up to that point on the 777X. The COVID pandemic further stalled flight testing and certification work. The engine-mounted thrust links developed cracks during further flight testing, adding to the delays.
Now, Boeing sees the program is finally on track for certification this year and EIS next year.
Related Story
Air India Flight 171 Preliminary Crash Report Is Unclear Regarding Pilot Actions
By Bjorn Fehrm
July 11, 2025, © Leeham News: India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has issued the preliminary report of the crash of Flight 171.
The report indicates that the aircraft and flight crew were fit for flight and that the pilots were experienced, with the Captain having a total of 15,638 flight hours, including 8,596 on type, and the First Officer having 3,403 flight hours, with 1,128 on type.
The report documents the technical registration of the engine’s Fuel Cutoff switches, which transition from RUN to CUTOFF, remain at CUTOFF for 10 seconds, and then return to RUN. By then, the engine cores have slowed down below flight idle, with the engines delivering almost no thrust.
GE testing of giant GE9X engine aims for maturity at entry into service
Subscription Required
By Scott Hamilton
June 30, 2025, © Leeham News: GE Aerospace developed a huge engine for the Boeing 777X, the most powerful engine ever created. The GE9X tops out at 115,000 lbs of thrust.
The giant GE9X engine for the Boeing 777X generates 115,000 lbs of thrust. The human scale of the engine is illustrated here at a display at the Paris Air Show. Credit: Leeham News.
It’s had its development challenges. The 777-9, the first of the X family, was supposed to enter service in early 2020. Technical issues with the GE9X required removal of the engines from the test airplanes and a return to GE for fixes. This delayed flight testing by nine months. By then, certification of the 777X got caught up in the Boeing 737 MAX crisis; the 777X still is awaiting certification, which parties hope will come this year. Deliveries are now expected to begin next year.
Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airline, has 205 Xs on order, more than any other customer, out of 521 in total. He’s publicly complained about the initial test results of the GE9X and demanded engine maturity before he’ll accept delivery.
GE has used the six year delay in the program to attempt to satisfy this demand.
Engine makers tout “Plan A” but have “Plan B” backups in R&D
Subscription Required
By Scott Hamilton
June 23, 2025, © Leeham News, Paris: CFM International touts its Open Fan RISE engine as the wave of the future. (CFM is a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran.)
Rival Pratt & Whitney says evolution of its Geared Turbo Fan is the best engine choice going forward.
CFM’s Open Fan engine design called RISE. Credit: CFM.
Neither company will admit that it is also researching and developing a Plan B engine. For CFM, this is a conventional turbofan. For PW, this is a new Open Fan. But during the Paris Air Show, LNA confirmed that both have a Plan B engine in development.
PW has gone out of its way to dismiss the very idea of an Open Fan engine. Rick Deurloo, the president of Pratt & Whitney Commercial, won’t even talk about the “competitor.” Deurloo makes it clear—publicly, at least—that an evolution of PW’s Geared Turbo Fan (GTF) is the best solution for the next generation engine for the single aisle market, in its view.
Mike Winter, RTX’s Chief Engineer, dismissed the Open Fan as “sub-optimal” on a successor to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families. It involves too many installation compromises on this size aircraft, he says. RTX is the parent of PW.
But, says one person with direct knowledge, PW fully understands that if CFM is successful in solving all the challenges of an Open Fan and meets the publicly stated goal of improving fuel consumption by 20% compared with today’s GTF and CFM LEAP engines, PW’s gain of an evolutionary GTF won’t be competitive.
So, says the person with direct knowledge of PW’s activities, the development of an Open Fan alternative engine is being worked on as PW’s Plan B.
Furthermore, PW’s sister company, Pratt & Whitney Canada, publicly disclosed its development of an Open Fan engine in a briefing on Tuesday this week. This engine is for a new 70-100-seat aircraft designed by the start-up company MAEVE. PW is following PWC’s development.