Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Solid start for stand-alone GE Aerospace despite cuts to LEAP output April 23, 2024
- SPEEA, Boeing at impasse over safety program, union says April 23, 2024
- Better transparency needed on Boeing’s 1Q earnings call April 22, 2024
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 4. Propulsive efficiency April 19, 2024
- Boeing unlikely to meet FAA’s 90-day deadline for new safety program April 18, 2024
P2F conversion constrained by feedstock, certification issues
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By Judson Rollins
July 3, 2023, © Leeham News: As the supply chain chaos of the past two years finally winds down, the air cargo industry is trying to prepare for future growth.
IAI’s first 777 converted freighter, intended for Kalitta Air, has not flown since its initial testing flight on March 24. Source: IAI.
However, in an ironic twist, the industry’s near-to-intermediate term runway is constrained by some forces that propelled its supernormal profitability during the pandemic and recovery.
Thanks to growth in e-commerce, many industry observers revised their long-term growth forecasts upward. Cargo traffic growth estimates vary widely, from Cirium’s conservative 20-year expectation of 3.0% per year to Boeing’s optimistic call for 4.1% annually through 2042.
This year’s demand environment is less rosy as global trade falters, seaport backlogs have mostly cleared, shippers of high-value industrial goods suffer from microchip and other key commodity shortages, and recovering passenger airline service drives a glut of lower-deck “belly” capacity on most trade lanes.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently said it expects air cargo demand to fall by 3.8% and revenues to contract by one-third for the full year. Cargo volumes were already down 5.3% year-over-year through April, said IATA.
Summary
- Express carriers are most exposed to short-term pain, but long-run prospects are brighter.
- Non-express carriers continue to be hard hit by excess capacity.
- Freighter conversion feedstock supply is tight.
- 777 P2F conversion slowed by possible certification issues; Boeing poised to sell more 777Fs?
Mammoth, NIAR settle lawsuit with prejudice
By Scott Hamilton
Oct. 28, 2022, © Leeham News: A settlement has been reached between the Mammoth Freighters and other plaintiffs and NIAR, the aerospace research arm of Wichita State University, it was announced today.
“This agreement now concludes all existing litigation between NIAR and Wagner/Mammoth, without any payment from either party or restrictions on NIAR, its personnel, its customers or partners, or its conversion aircraft program going forward,” NIAR/WSU said in a statement. The court filing dismissing the lawsuit says each side bears its own costs.
Update: Order public: federal court denies Mammoth Freighter request for preliminary injunction in trade secret theft lawsuit
By Scott Hamilton
Update, Oct. 11, 2022, (c) Leeham News: The US District Court of Southern California posted its Oct. 7 order on Oct. 11 denying Mammoth Freighter’s motion for a preliminary injunction against David Dotzenroth, Sequoia Aircraft Conversions and NIAR, the engineering arm of the University of Wichita.
Among the findings:
- As reported below, the court ruled that there is no irreparable harm to Mammoth and that there is no likelihood of succeeding on the merits of the lawsuit.
- The court determined that Mammoth failed to specifically identify alleged trade secrets.
- Mammoth lost on every point alleged in the lawsuit, the court ruled.
A copy of the order is here: 10-6-22 Order Prelim Injunction and here: Oct 7 Order Prelim Injunction et al
What’s next?
Mammoth could move to dismiss the lawsuit. If it doesn’t, the Defendants could move for a Summary Judgment dismissing the lawsuit. Or Mammoth could proceed with the lawsuit despite the court’s conclusions to date.
There is no deadline to pursue any of these options.
In major blow, federal court denies Mammoth Freighter request for preliminary injunction in trade secret theft lawsuit
Oct. 7, 2022, © Leeham News: The US District Court of Southern California denied a request by Mammoth Freighters for a preliminary injunction against David Dotzenroth, Sequoia Aircraft Conversions and others in the long-running lawsuit alleging the defendants with theft of trade secrets and intellectual property.
The order was issued on Sept. 28, but it has not been published yet. LNA learned of the order in a filing yesterday by the defendants seeking publication of the order on the PACER court website.
“The Order was filed under seal as Document 373, but there is no entry on the public docket indicating that it was entered or that Plaintiffs’ motion was denied,” the attorney for Dotzenroth, et al, wrote in a motion seeking publication of the order.
Denial of the motion for a Preliminary Injunction is a major blow to Mammoth. Although the Oct. 6 motion doesn’t contain details of the Sept. 28 order, the Cornell University Law School website states factors a court will consider in a request for an injunction.