Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
How will Boeing profit from tanker contract?
Just whenever you think there’s nothing more to write about the air force aerial tanker, more news pops up.
The news that Boeing would first lose $300m on the initial KC-46A tanker contract, and now perhaps another $400m (will there be still more to come?), isn’t particularly surprising.This is on top of the $600m the USAF (read that “taxpayers” agreed to absorb of the first $1bn in excess program costs.
In fact, when the first loss projection was announced, Wall Street aerospace analysts noted the news but shrugged it off as falling under the “what did you expect?” category. We didn’t even both to write about it, except in passing.
Countdown at American for huge order
American Airlines is believed ready to decide on replacing as many as 250 narrow-bodies in its fleet as early as this week.
The Wall Street Journal published this report Sunday outlining the stakes.
We suggested recently that AA could split the order, sticking with Boeing for the 737-800 to replace more than 200 aging MD-80s; and the Airbus A321neo to replace the more than 100 Boeing 757s.
The competition is a tough one, as The WSJ article details. As for the aircraft, we’re not sure adding A320 Legacy airplanes to the fleet in place of the 737-800, in and of itself, makes a lot of sense unless (1) American needs more airplanes quicker than Boeing can provide to replace the gas-guzzling MD-80s and (2) it’s tied to a deal for the A320/321 neo.
AirInsight will publish a report Tuesday (July 12) examining the economics of which airplane best replaces American’s 757s: the 737-900ER or the A321neo.
787 deliveries this year
Boeing, on its year-end and 1Q earnings calls, suggested there will be about 40 deliveries of thy 787 and the 747-8 this year, evenly split between the two.
Aerospace analysts don’t agree, at least on the 787 side. In reports issued this week, Bernstein Research and Buckingham Research forecast eight and seven deliveries respectively. Previously, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan forecast 15 and 16 deliveries, though JP Morgan yesterday warned its number could decline.
Airbus will consider A320 production higher than 44/mo: Enders
Here’s a story we did from the Paris Air Show for Commercial Aviation Online.
| Date: | 30/06/2011 11:43 |
| Source: | Commercial Aviation Online |
| Location: | Paris |
| By: | Scott Hamilton |
Airbus and Boeing are boosting production of their bread-and-butter single-aisle aircraft, the A320 and 737, to unprecedented rates. Airbus is planning to go to 42 per month and is considering 44; Boeing has announced taking its rates to 42 per month.
Airbus came away from the Paris Air Show with more than 1,000 orders and commitments for the A320neo family, an unprecedented sales success in commercial aviation, since the programme launch in December 2010.
In an interview following the closing air show Airbus press conference, Enders has already moved on from the stunning sales. Instead of being on a euphoric high, Enders acted as if this had been just another day at the office.
Building Boeing’s New Small Airplane
An aside before getting into the heart of this post: the following was sent by a Wall Street analyst upon hearing the news that Boeing will lose $300m on the first 18 KC-46A tankers.
KC-46A over-runs. In the movie Casablanca, the Police captain proclaims; “This café is closed; I’m shocked, shocked to find out there is gambling here.” A waiter then hands him his Roulette winnings. We are equally shocked to read reports that BA likely underbid the KC-46 contract. BA’s poor performance on the 767 tanker program and aggressive KC-46A bid drove us to include a nearly $1bn EMD contract over-run in our estimates, which are unchanged. We maintain our Buy rating and $92 target.
Now for the rest of the story, as they say.
While there remains much uncertainty within Boeing and the industry over what Boeing will do about a new airplane–a 737 re-engine or an entirely New Small Airplane (NSA), and if an NSA, what will this look like–states interested in building the NSA also anxiously await Boeing’s decision.
Washington State is the location for building the 737 and having lost the 787 Line 2, it doesn’t want to lose the NSA. The governor has already appointed a task force under the name Project Pegasus to plan the campaign and strategy to be sure the NSA is built here. Other states probably are already planning their strategies, though none has announced anything that we’ve seen.
Boeing’s Shanahan talks about new programs, shifting development in-house
We sat down with Pat Shanahan, who heads up Boeing airplane programs, at the Paris Air Show for a short conversation.
One of the messages top executives have repeatedly said in recent months is that they will not do two new airplane programs, following the challenging and unhappy experiences on the 787 and 747-8 developments. We asked about this and more.
Leahy to Boeing: you’re “whistling past the graveyard”
This is a story we provided KIRO TV in Seattle, for which we provided reports during the air show.
Airbus A320neo success far exceeds expectations
Special to KIRO TV
Airbus ended the primary portion of the Paris Air Show Thursday with 700 new, firm orders for the A320neo (New Engine Option) and a total of 1,029 firm orders and commitments year-to-date. There possibly could be a few more orders before the show officially ends Sunday, but the trade show portion ended Thursday.
The results surprised even Airbus super-salesman John Leahy, who said at the company’s closing press briefing that some deals came together unexpectedly during the show.