Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Commercialized C-130 beats rivals, crew says
June 18, 2017, © Leeham Co.: The commercial offering of the venerable Lockheed Martin C-130J, the LM-100J, is here at the Paris Air Show, along with its rivals, the Embraer KC-390 and Airbus A400M.
The crew with Lockheed Martin waves off the competition.
Neither competitor can match the LM/C-130, they say.
A view around the Paris Air Show
June 17, 2017, (c) Leeham Co.: It’s surprising that many hall and chalet exhibits are still in a state of construction as LNC walked around the Paris Air Show Saturday, but we’ve noted this before.
Meanwhile, here are a few photos:
LNC is off to the Paris Air Show
June 15, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Leeham News and Comment is off to the Paris Air Show.
Coverage will begin Sunday, with several events in advance of the show’s official opening Monday. We’ll be there through Thursday, with the end-of-show press conference by Airbus.
We provided a full preview May 22 for our paywall customers.
Here’s an update, in an abbreviated version:
Pontifications: Boeing-Bombardier dispute’s big winner: Airbus
By Scott Hamilton
June 12, 2017, (c) Leeham Co.: Boeing won round one Friday in its price-dumping complaint against Bombardier over its sale of the CSeries to Delta Air Lines.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) voted 5-0 to continue the investigation. It now goes to the US Department of Commerce to determine whether tariffs should be imposed on the deal, and how much. Delta Air Lines would have to pay the tariffs.
Boeing won this round but the big winner is likely to be Airbus.
Bombardier optimistic about China
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Introduction
June 5, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Bombardier’s activities in China, where the fuselage for the CSeries is co-produced, have been at a standstill.
None of the Memorandums of Understand or Letters of Intent have been converted to firm
Bombardier Q400.
orders. A recent news report suggested renewed talks between COMAC, China’s commercial aircraft enterprise, and Bombardier over acquisition of the CSeries program
LNC sat down with Fred Cromer, president of Bombardier Commercial Airplanes, at the annual general meeting of IATA to discuss these and other issues.
Summary
- An update on the COMAC-CSeries relationship.
- An update on the slow-selling Q400 and CRJ programs.
- An update on the oft-discussed CS500.
Read more
Pontifications: ATR, Q400 replacement not any time soon
By Scott Hamilton
June 5, 2017, © Leeham Co.: The prospect of a new generation turboprop airliner remains as elusive as ever.
This is the clear conclusion from Media Days I attended Tuesday through Friday with Pratt & Whitney and Embraer at their respective Florida operations in West Palm Beach and Melbourne.
There are just two major manufacturers, ATR and Bombardier—and the latter is fading fast. ATR now has about 80% of the backlog. Bombardier is down to about two dozen unfilled orders.
Embraer aggressively pursues private jet market
June 2, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Embraer is aggressively growing in the private jet market, offering a range of clean-sheet designs to business jet versions of its venerable E-145 RJ and its E-Jet.
In a pre-Paris Air Show press briefing at EMB’s Melbourne (FL) facility, the Phenom and Legacy private jets took center stage. Both jet families, currently two and three members respectively, are assembled here at this growing facility.
Embraer’s US footprint spans 31 states
June 2, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Embraer is best known as a Brazilian company, but its US footprint and economic contributions are surprising for those who don’t delve into these sorts of things.
Gary Spulak, president, Embraer Aircraft Holding US, outlined EMB’s US presence on the first day of two days of pre-Paris Air Show briefings at the company’s Melbourne (FL) engineering, production and corporate aircraft center.
Pontifications: No sale for Boeing in Bombardier complaint
By Scott Hamilton
May 29, 2017, © Leeham Co.: I’m having a really hard time buying into Boeing’s arguments in the complaint about alleged price dumping by Bombardier in its deal with Delta Air Lines.
I say this despite the fact that Boeing lawyers at least four times directly and twice indirectly cited “trade publication” Leeham News and Comment in support of its case. While flattering to be used as an authoritative source, Boeing’s testimony doesn’t support the claim that Bombardier acted improperly, in my view (nor that of AirInsight, which also reviewed the testimony). There are, of course, scads of exhibits and confidential information not available for public review that could, if available for public dissemination, might change opinion.
The thing is, Boeing is known among journalists and analysts for its occasional descent into hyperbole. Or, as one reporter I talked to put it, this is an example of Cirque du Soleil acrobatics. It is with some amusement that I note Cirque du Soleil is, like Bombardier, headquartered in Montreal.