Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 19. April 25, 2025
- How good is the C929? Part 2. April 24, 2025
- Boeing First Quarter Results Update: China is 10% of the backlog, with 500 in “Unidentified” April 24, 2025
- Boeing First Quarter Results: Tariffs, Return flights, $10.55bn asset sale April 23, 2025
- RTX Q1 2025 Earnings: GTF Talk Takes A Back Seat To Tariffs April 22, 2025
Can Airbus improve the A321neo?
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
August 03, 2017, © Leeham Co.: The Airbus A321 has been in its own single aisle league for capacity and with the A321LR for capacity and range.
With Boeing’s launch of the 737 MAX 10, the unique position has taken a hit. With A321 occupying 40% of Airbus single aisle sales, Airbus is examining how to re-open the gap.
There is much talk about an A322: an aircraft with new wing, engines and so forth. This is a major undertaking and will need new engines for its realization. Couldn’t Airbus improve the A321 as it is?
We look into what short term improvements can be done to the A321, and what these would give.
Summary
- To understand what improvements can be made for the A321neo, one needs to understand its limitations.
- We describe the present limits.
- We find them in wing-loading, span-loading, engine thrust and tankage
How Boeing pays back the 787 debts
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
July 27, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Boeing held its 1H2017 call yesterday, giving further information on how the 787 deferred costs decline. The payback in 2Q2017 was $16m per aircraft.
Boeing needed to achieve a $36m per-plane reduction, based on our analysis, to not increase the payback amount per aircraft for the remaining aircraft in the current accounting block.
The $16m is still a low rate, although better than the $11m 1Q2017, given that the remaining $26.5bn deferred production costs must be amortized over the Program accounting’s remaining 735 units of a 1,300 units block.
The key to amortizing the costs is the different margins of the 787 variants. We compare costs and revenue of the 787-, -9 and -10 to understand the payback margins better.
Summary:
- Program accounting means deferred production costs shall be nil at the end of the accounting block.
- Right now, there is $26.5bn to amortize and not many aircraft left that can pay the sum.
- The key to a plausible payback scenario is the payback margins of the different 787s.
- We analyze the margins through modeling of net revenue and unit costs for the 787 variants.
Mid-year production/delivery update for Boeing
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Introduction
July 24, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Boeing’s 2Q earnings call is Wednesday and analysts will be watching for information about the 787 deferred production costs, potential production rate changes for the 787 and for the 777 Classic.
We looked at the 787 costs last week.
It’s also mid-year and LNC is taking an updated look and production and delivery rate streams for Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier and Embraer. The Airfinance Journal Fleet Tracker is our resource for this report.
We begin with Boeing in advance of its earnings call.
Summary
- A case can be made for taking 737 production rates to 60/mo.
- 777 Classic rates still may need to come down.
- 787 rate increase remains questionable.
Boeing 787 payback gap widens
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
July 20, 2017, © Leeham Co.: The 787 Dreamliner is now on its sixth delivery year, well past half calendar time in the program’s 1,300 unit accounting block (for the explanation of accounting block and program accounting read here).
Within two quarters we also reach half time for deliveries at 650 aircraft. Production cost improvements must now create a margin, so that the $30b deferred costs to date can be amortized by remaining units. Is the margin created? Not so far.
We will know more in a week’s time. Boeing has its 2Q2017 call next week, where the production cost improvements can be monitored through the decline of the $30bn deferred costs. Right now, the decline is at a slow pace.
Summary:
- Program accounting means deferred production costs shall be nil at the end of the accounting block.
- Right now, there is $30bn to amortize and not too many aircraft left that can pay the sum.
- We explore the payback margins necessary to reach a black nil at 1300 units.
Business case for NMA remains uncertain
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Introduction
July 17, 2017, © Leeham Co.: We’re half way through 2017. Boeing reported orders through July 11, a week ago. Airbus won’t update its July orders until the end of the month.
Through July 11, Boeing reported 116 net wide-body orders: 15 for the 767, 33 for the 777 and 75 for the 787. Net cancellations of -7 for the 747 are included in the net 116 figure.
The 15 767s were not commercial models, however, but 767-2C tankers for the USAF.
Over at Airbus, none of China’s 40 commitments announced July 5 for 40 A350s are in the June summary, and won’t be in the Orders tally until the commitments turn into firm orders. Through June, airbus had net 26 widebody orders: three A330-200s and 29 A350-900. There were cancellations of four A330-800s and two A380s.
If the 40 China A350s were included, this would bring Airbus to 66 widebody orders, still well short of Boeing’s YTD figure.
Summary
- Airbus product gap widens as A330-200/800 stalls.
- Boeing 787 strength comes from 787-9; 787-8 remains minor player.
- Middle of the Market business case still unproved.
Jet sales in 75-150 seat lag Airbus, Boeing
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Introduction
The Mitsubishi MRJ90 hasn’t recorded a sale in a year. Photo by Scott Hamilton.
July 13, 2017, © Leeham Co.: While analysts and reporters focus on the high-profile order competition between Airbus and Boeing, it’s time to look at Bombardier and Embraer, along with the 75-150 seat sector.
Boeing is doing better than expected this year, due largely to the launch of the 737 MAX 10. Airbus is struggling year-to-date, but received a big boost post-Paris Air Show with an agreement to sell 140 A320s and A350s to China. At this stage, it’s not a firm order, however.
How are Bombardier and Embraer doing in their core markets of 75-150 seats?
Just awful.
Sukhoi and Mitsubishi aren’t doing any better.
Summary
- Few new sales in 2017 in the 75-150 seat sector.
- Low fuel prices, Scope Clause and general order downturn converge.
- Embraer’s Paris Air Show results boosted this OEM’s year-to-date performance.
A380Plus: First analysis, Part 2
By Bjorn Fehrm
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July 10, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: We went through the changes that are included in the Airbus A380Plus development study last week.
The study packages several improvements to the A380, improving the aerodynamics, increasing the passenger capacity and lowering maintenance costs.
The aim is to improve the cost per seat of the A380 to keep it competitive with the new Boeing 777-9. With the rundown of the improvements complete we now use our aircraft model to see if the cost per passenger can compete with the 777.
Summary:
- The A380Plus improvements makes the A380 competitive on Cash Operating seat mile Costs with the Boeing 777-9.
- The problem on how to fill the 70% larger A380 remains. It needs other solutions.
Qantas’ ultra-long haul dream, Part 3
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
July 06, 2017, © Leeham Co.: In previous articles we have learned how to fly the challenging route Sydney-London direct. From a well-informed person in Qantas we learned not to fight the winds. We shall use them. If we fly intelligently we put a cap on the longest distance we fly, even on windy days.
The other way around, London to Sydney, is less of a challenge. The aircraft is blown down under by the winds.
Figure 1. Qantas planned URL routes with Great Circle distances. Source: Great Circle mapper.
Now we use our aircraft model to understand how Airbus’ A350-900ULR and Boeing’s 777-8 would cope with the route.
Summary:
- The ideas of Qantas did not stop with not fighting the winds.
- We also learned how to simplify the analysis process for URL aircraft and routes.
- Forget about cabins, seats and passengers. It’s all about the hauled weight.
MAX 8 conversions to MAX 10 outweigh MAX 9
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Introduction
July 3, 2017, © Leeham Co.: There were conversions of 214 orders from other 737 MAX programs in favor of the 361 orders and commitments announced at the Paris Air Show for the launch of the 737 MAX 10.
Aside from the easily identifiable 100 MAX 9 orders from United Airlines, the other conversions weren’t readily apparent.
An analysis by LNC indicates that about half of the conversions came from the MAX 8.
Summary
- The MAX 10 orders and commitments surpass the MAX 9 after PAS, becoming the second most in-demand of the MAX family.
- LNC estimates that about 300 orders remain for the MAX 9, higher if Lion Air’s MAX order is allocated on a pro-rata basis.
- A lot of MAX 8/9 series orders are TBD, with no immediate selection by the customer.