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 25. June 6, 2025
- New RISE powerplant benefits from decades of GE research and development June 5, 2025
- Engine makers emphasizing durability, reliability June 4, 2025
- Boeing CEO: Lessons learned are key to certification of 737-7/10 and 777X June 2, 2025
- Digital twin is a key to JetZero’s hopes for Blended Wing Body entry June 2, 2025
Could Airbus’ A220 fly Air Canada’s Montreal to Toulouse route?
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
February 6, 2020, © Leeham News: Air Canada announced in August 2019 it will start a five weekly route between Montreal and Toulouse from the 4th of June. It connects two growing, French-speaking cities with strong aeronautical clusters. The route will also connect Airbus headquarters and production in Toulouse with its new A220 aircraft development and production center in Mirabel outside Montreal.
Air Canada announced it will fly the route with its 292 seat Airbus A330-300 but the question has been raised “Could route be served with the smaller A220, then with an increased frequency”? We use our airliner performance model to find out.
Summary:
- Montreal to Toulouse is on the range limit for an A220, especially when flying the return route against winter winds.
- We look at different means to increase the range of the A220 to make the route possible without fueling stops when going West.
Consultant to Boeing: cut dividends, invest in new airplane
By Scott Hamilton
Feb. 5, 2020, © Leeham News: Boeing is headed for a 30% market share unless it invests in a new airplane, and soon.
This is what aviation consultant Richard Aboulafia of The Teal Group predicted today at the annual conference of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance in Lynnwood (WA).
Aboulafia, who has been following Boeing for 30 years, implored the new CEO, David Calhoun, to redirect billions of dollars in shareholder dividends toward research and development instead.
Calhoun recently suspended 2 ½ year focus on the New Midmarket Aircraft to conduct a clean-sheet review of the next new airplane.
This has been widely interpreted as a move to kill the NMA. In reality, LNA understands, this is more about reassessing the market and what the airplane should ultimately be.
“Who’s going to fail?”
By Scott Hamilton
Feb. 5, 2020, © Leeham News: “Who’s going to fail?”
This is a key question on the sidelines of the annual Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance conference in Lynnwood (WA).
The question, of course, related to the small- and medium-sized suppliers caught up in the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX.
Boeing 737 production rate boost to 57/mo delayed by four years
- Plan called for 737 rate to go to 57/mo YE 2019.
- This rate won’t be achieved until 2023.
- Rate reduction considered for 777.
By Scott Hamilton
Feb. 5, 2020, © Leeham News, Lynnwood (WA): Suppliers attending the annual conference of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance say they gained some clarity from Boeing last week about future production plans for the 737 MAX.
But they still face a multi-year challenge that puts strain on everyone.
Boeing’s plans to return to the pre-grounding production rate of 52/mo will take until 2022. Plans to boost the rate won’t be fulfilled until 2023—four years later than planned.
Assessing airlines’ widebody replacement needs
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By Vincent Valery
Introduction
Feb. 3, 2020, © Leeham News: As part of the 777X maiden flight, Boeing briefed the media on its demand forecast for the large widebody market. The OEM sees a demand to replace between 60 and 100 aircraft annually in that market segment until 2030.
Last week we estimated the number of narrowbody aircraft where airlines still need to place a replacement order. We now perform a similar analysis for the widebody market.
OEMs are struggling to cope with the insatiable demand for latest-generation narrowbody aircraft. However, the situation is different in the widebody market. After significant orders and deliveries during most of the last decade, demand is sharply slowing now.
After announcing a 787 Dreamliner production rate cut last year from 14 to 12 per month, Boeing acknowledged it is expecting a further cut to 10 per month from early 2021. The company expects to return to rate 12 in 2023.
Photo by Scott Hamilton
Airbus hasn’t announced any reduction in its A330neo or A350 production rates yet but acknowledged demand softness.
Both OEMs point to the significant widebody replacement needs that will arise later in the decade. We will analyze whether their hope for better days is justified.
We will also partially address why Boeing decided to go back to the drawing board on new aircraft design.
Summary
- At face value, numerous widebody aircraft to replace;
- Materially different customer mix from narrowbody aircraft;
- Varying demand, depending on aircraft size;
- Boeing forecast for the large widebody market;
- And a change of mind on the NMA;
- Replacement needs timelines.
Pontifications: 777X certification, MAX market deficiencies, NMA and what’s an insider
- Certification of 777X will be impacted by MAX crisis.
- Market sees “deficiencies” in Boeing’s narrow-body product line.
- Reopening new airplane study doesn’t mean NMA is necessarily dead.
- The SEC considers Calhoun to be an insider, even if he doesn’t.
By Scott Hamilton
Feb. 3, 2020, © Leeham News: Boeing has said very little about how the MAX certification review will affect the 777X.
The Federal Aviation Administration has said nothing at all.
But David Calhoun, the new CEO of The Boeing Co., gave a hint in a recent call shortly after assuming office Jan. 13.
Bjorn’s Corner: Why e in ePlane shall stand for environment, Part 7. Efficiency of cars versus airliners.
January 31, 2020, ©. Leeham News: We now look at ways to increase the fuel efficiency of our airliner and by it, improve the CO2 situation for our environment.
Let’s start with understanding where we are with the efficiency of our present air transport system. To get a feel for where we are we will compare it to our road transport system.
Figure 1. A principal view of a two-spool airliner turbofan. Source: Wikipedia.
Boeing looks to produce about 220 MAXes in 2020
By Scott Hamilton
Jan. 30, 2020, © Leeham News: Boeing appears preparing to produce around 220 737 MAXes this year.
Spirit AeroSystems announced this morning that it reached agreement with Boeing to supply 220 fuselages in 2020.
The actual number of MAXes Boeing produces this year may vary from 220. It could well be that some of the 2020 fuselage deliveries spill over into 2021 deliveries.
With Boeing’s 737 MAX delivered to storage instead of customers, unique cost and revenue insights can be gained, Part 2.
By Bjorn Fehrm
Subscription Required
Introduction
January 30, 2020, © Leeham News: The last three-quarters of non-delivered Boeing 737 MAX production has exposed the internals of an airliner OEM as never before.
By comparing the second, third and fourth quarterly reports from Boeing for 2018 and 2019 we can get an understanding of the net revenue shortfall for the non-delivery of 737 MAX aircraft during 2019. By digging deeper into the reports we can also get an understanding of the present production cost of the 737 MAX.
Summary:
- The difference in revenue for a well-chosen time period of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 tell the story of 737 MAX net revenue per aircraft.
- In principle, the same is valid for production costs which get booked into inventory instead of being delivered. Here more intricate adjustments must be made, however.
Boeing MAX production will restart, build slowly
By Scott Hamilton
Jan. 29, 2020, © Leeham News: Restarting production of the Boeing 737 MAX assembly lines will be slow, methodical and paced to avoid adding to inventory of about 400 airplanes in storage.
Boeing 737 factory, Renton (WA). Source: Boeing.
This was one of the take-aways from Boeing’s earnings call today. Boeing announced its first loss since 1997. This is when production of the 737 and 747 lines were shut down when rates outpaced the ability of the supply system to keep up.
Greg Smith, EVP, CFO and head of Boeing’s strategy, revealed the production restart in broad terms.