Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 5. Turbofan design problems April 26, 2024
- Airbus 1Q2024 results: Airbus CEO: “A350 in-service experience drives positive reputation and orders” April 25, 2024
- A350-1000 or 777-9? Part 3 April 25, 2024
- Boeing CEO promises company is turning around…again April 24, 2024
- Solid start for stand-alone GE Aerospace despite cuts to LEAP output April 23, 2024
A look behind the headlines of Airbus’ Investors Forum
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Update, 0530 PST Dec. 15: Aviation Week posted an article that indicates Airbus and Rolls-Royce are closing in on an engine deal that will lead to the A380neo and a stretch.
Introduction
Last week’s Airbus Global Investors Forum proved to be a debacle due to a rogue customer and two miscues by management.
First, Group CFO Harald Wilhelm indicated Airbus may decide in 2018 to terminate the A380 program, causing consternation from Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airlines, which has 44% of the order book. Airbus Commercial management spent a good part of the next day in damage control.
Second, with little forewarning, Airbus told analysts that production rates for the A330ceo would come down in advance of introduction of the A330neo. This news shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but for some it did. If they had closely followed sales efforts for the A330ceo, the lack of success and the production gap, news that Airbus will bring rates down more than the 1/mo decline previously announced shouldn’t have surprised. Still, Airbus had not previously sent strong enough warning signals.
Third, profit and free cash flow warnings weren’t well received.
Finally, Akbar Al-Baker, the prickly CEO of Qatar Airways, chose the first day of GIF to announce he wasn’t going accept delivery of the first A350-900 three days later.
The result: the stock price plunged 10% on Day 1 of GIF and another 4.3% on Day 2.
Summary
- It’s time to look behind the headlines of the debacle and analyze what the meaning is;
- The implications of Wilhelm’s A380 statement;
- Better detail on the A330 rate reduction; and
- Implications for Boeing.
Airbus stock hammered on airplane news, Boeing caught in the downdraft
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Introduction
Dec. 10, 2014: As company investors’ days go, Day 1 of Airbus Group didn’t go well. Airbus stock traded off 10% on news that the A330 production rate, already to reduced from 10/mo to 9/mo in 4Q2015, will be further reduced in 2016. No number was given.
Then Airbus acknowledged it may decide by 2018 whether to terminate the A380 program. There were no sales this year.
And true to form, the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al-Baker, did another one of his famous U-Turns. Only a short time ago he was singing the praises of the A350, the first of which was to be handed over to his airline on Saturday. Today he announced delivery was postponed “until further notice,” with no explanation for the delay.
The stock reverberation didn’t end there; it migrated across the Atlantic, sending Boeing stock down on Wednesday at a rate twice that of the Dow Jones index.
Summary:
- A330ceo sales have dried up in advance of the A330neo introduction. A large Chinese order appears to be going nowhere.
- The A380 program is supposed to finally hit cash break-even in 2015, but no sales put this program in doubt.
- The only way to boost the A380 is to do a neo and the business case is iffy.
737 MAX 8 could be enabler for some LCC Long Haul
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By Scott Hamilton and Bjorn Fehrm
Introduction
Figure 1. Nominal range of 737 MAX 8 from Oslo Source: Great circle mapper, Boeing. Click on Image to enlarge
Dec, 8, 2014:The Boeing 737-8 MAX is the successor to the 737-800 and has largely been thought of in this context.
Our analysis, prompted by Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) plans to use Boeing 737-8 MAXes to begin trans-Atlantic service on long, thin routes, comes up with a conclusion that has gotten little understanding in the marketplace: the 8 MAX has enough range and seating to open a market niche below the larger, longer-legged 757, and the economics to support profitable operations for Low Cost Carriers interested in some trans-Atlantic routes or destinations beyond the range of the -800.
Summary
- We based our analysis on our proprietary, economic modeling, assumed Norwegian cabin configuration standards.
- We compared the operating costs of the 737-8 with Norwegian’s present long haul aircraft 787-8 in a similar cabin configuration.
- The comparison range is the max endurance range for an LCC long haul 737-8, eight hours or 3,400nm air distance (no wind included).
Little progress on A330 production gap
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Introduction
With the end of the year a mere five weeks away, Airbus appears to have made little progress in closing its production gap for the A330.
Summary
- Airbus still has a gap of approaching 150 production slots at current and announced rates between now and the planned EIS of the A330neo in December 2017.
- Launch of A330neo helps, but does not cure production gap–especially between now and 2018.
- No Chinese order for A330 Regional after more than a year.
- AirAsiaX deferring orders–and will some CEO orders be swapped for the NEO?
Lufthansa to use A340s in “lower cost” operation; our analysis against the 787
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By Scott Hamilton and Bjorn Fehrm
Introduction
Low cost long haul service is gaining traction, but previous efforts proved difficult to be successful.
Dating all the way back to Laker Airways’ Skytrain and the original PeoplExpress across the Atlantic, airlines found it challenging to make money.
More recently, AirAsiaX retracted some of its long-haul service, withdrawing Airbus A340-300 aircraft when they proved too costly. The airline recast its model around Airbus A330-300s as an interim measure, unable to fly the same distances as the longer-legged A340. AirAsiaX ordered the Airbus A350-900 and now is a launch customer for the A330-900neo.
Cebu Pacific of the Philippines is flying LCC A330-300 service to the Middle East. Norwegian Air Shuttle famously built its entire LCC long haul model around the Boeing 787, initiating service with the 787-8 and planning to move to the 787-9.
Canada’s WestJet is leasing in four used Boeing 767-300ERs to offer LCC service,
Legacy carrier Lufthansa Airlines plans to use fully depreciated A340-300s to begin “lower cost” (as opposed to “low cost”) long haul service. LH says the fully depreciated A340s come within 1%-2% of the cost per available seat mile of the new, high capital-cost 787s.
Summary
- AirAsiaX’s A340 LCC long haul service proved unprofitable. Can Lufthansa’s similar service with fully depreciated A340s work?
- Our analysis shows that it can. It can even support the lease rates that would be charged for a 10 year old A340 if the fuel price remains at the present level.
- When doing the research for this article and going through the results of our proprietary model we started to ask ourselves, is the A340-300 the ugly duckling of the airline market?
Boeing fails to assure on 777 production gap
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Introduction
Boeing’s ability—or inability—to bridge the production gap for the 777 Classic to the 777X entry-into-service in 2020 was a top concern of a series of Wall Street types during a recent series of meetings we had across the USA.
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There is a great deal of skepticism over whether Boeing can successfully maintain the current production rate of 100/yr (8.3/mo). People we talked with look at the number of orders Boeing needs to bridge the gap, the Boeing claims that it can obtain 40-50 or 40-60 a year, and, in a more recent development, the falling oil prices depressing the need for a new, more efficient 777-300ER compared with the 2004 model and the even older 777-200ER series.
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We have been telling our clients since March that Boeing will have to reduce the production rate of the 777 because of the large production gap. Aerospace analysts began waking up to this possibility by May and the broad consensus today is that Boeing will have to reduce the rate—the only questions remaining is by how much and how soon.
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As recently as the 3Q2014 earnings call, Boeing continues to assert it will be able to maintain rates with new sales. Boeing has booked 43 firm orders through October for the 777 Classic—39 for the 300ER and four for the freighter. This is as the low-end of the range Boeing says it needs.
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However, our Market Intelligences gathered over the summer and into the fall indicates sales efforts are struggling.
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Summary
- Boeing clearly hasn’t been persuasive in its claims it will bridge the production gap at current rates;
- Boeing has open delivery slots in the second half of 2016;
- The big drop off in backlog begins in 2017 and gets worse going forward;
- Key airlines that have been pitched have said “no;”
- Emirates sends the industry’s first operational 777-300ER to scrap;
- Bow wave of 777s coming to 12 years and off lease begins soon, creating cheap alternatives to new sales; and
- Lessors will be compelled to offer -300ERs for low prices, depressing opportunities for Boeing.
Airbus poised to overtake Boeing in wide-body sector, bracket Boeing at both ends
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Introduction
Airbus is poised to produce more medium twin-aisle airplanes than Boeing by the end of 2017 and maintain the lead into the early 2020 decade, according to production rates that have been announced, unannounced and based on estimates according to production gaps; and other information, a Leeham News and Comment analysis shows.
The wide-body arena has traditionally been Boeing’s to dominate. Although Airbus has outsold Boeing in this sector in recent years, Boeing’s greater production capacity and earlier-to-market 787 vis-à-vis the A350, which will only deliver to its first operator next month, maintained the advantage for Boeing’s market share for years.
The A340 wasn’t a high-demand airplane, eclipsed as it was by emerging ETOPS authority and a highly desirable, very efficient 777 Series.
Airbus and Boeing each face challenges with their aging wide-bodies. The 777 Classic is now on its downward life cycle following the launch of the re-engined, re-winged 777X. Boeing claims it can maintain current production rates of the Classic, but the official line is about the only one that believes this.
Airbus’ A330 Classic, now called the ceo after the launch of the A330neo program, similarly was headed toward sharp declines in the production rates. Airbus quickly achieved 121 commitments for the neo, but first delivery isn’t planned until December 2017 (which probably means 1Q2018) and it still needs to bolster the backlog of the ceo, which drops sharply in 2016. Airbus has been far more transparent than Boeing about the risk to the production rate, and announced a reduction from 10/mo to 9/mo in 4Q2015. We don’t think this will be enough, and Airbus has talked about rates of 7-8/mo.
With this as a backdrop, we believe Airbus will begin out-producing Boeing in medium-wide-bodies within a few years. We leave out the Very Large Aircraft as highly niche. But inclusion would only make the case worse for Boeing. We expect the 747-8 production rate to be cut from 1.5/mo to 1/mo, with an announcement coming as early as next month. Airbus is currently producing the A380 at 2.5/mo.
Summary
- We forecast the crossover point in production favoring Airbus in 2017.
Airbus has notified the supply chain to plan for a higher-than-announced rate of 10/mo for the A350. - We expect the A330ceo rate to be further reduced, offset by the ramp-up of the A330neo.
- We expect the 777 rate to begin falling in 2017 and continue to fall up to the EIS of the 777X in 2020.
- Ramp up of the 777X rate will take several years, providing Airbus a production rate advantage from 2017 through at least 2022.
- Airbus already has the advantage over Boeing in the single aisle sector. Gaining the advantage over Boeing in the twin aisle sector brackets Boeing in a way that has never been done before.
Boeing 737 MAX 8 as a long and thin aircraft and how it fares in general versus Airbus A320neo.
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By Bjorn Fehrm
Introduction
Over the last weeks we have looked at Boeing’s 757 replacement possibilities on its long and thin network niche, including a ground breaking launch interview for the A321neoLR with Airbus Head of Strategy and
Marketing, Kiran Rao. In the series we have seen that the A321neo has the potential to replace the 757-200 on long and thin international routes. Boeing’s equivalent single aisle entry, 737 MAX 9, has problems to extend its range over 3,600nm. It is too limited in the weight increase necessary to cover the longer range.
Many have asked how the less- restricted Boeing 737 MAX 8 would fare, suitably equipped with the necessary extra tanks. This is the subject of this week’s sequel on the theme long and thin. At the same time we look at Airbus entry in this segment, the A320neo, to see how it stacks up to the 737 MAX 8, both in their normal 1,000 to 2,000nm operation and then also in a long and thin scenario.
Let’s first summarize what we found so far in our four articles around the Boeing 757 and its alternatives:
Summary
Figure 1. Boeing 737 MAX 8 overlaid with Airbus A320neo. Source: Leeham Co.
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Posted on November 9, 2014 by Bjorn Fehrm
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