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 28. June 27, 2025
- Parent agency, FAA often at odds as politics outweighs safety June 26, 2025
- Electric Flight and the Ugly Duckling June 25, 2025
- Engine makers tout “Plan A” but have “Plan B” backups in R&D June 23, 2025
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 27. June 20, 2025
Aeroflot, the route to a modern airline, Part 2
By Bjorn Fehrm
April 19, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: In our second article about Aeroflot, the Soviet Union flag carrier that transformed to a modern airline, we will cover the period from the fall of the Soviet Union until 2010.
This was the difficult period for all participants. The old structures no longer existed and were replaced with… nothing, followed by uncertainty and a long struggle to get back to normal.
Figure 1. IL-96-300, a Soviet long range aircraft which stayed in the Aeroflot fleet until 2014. Source: Aeroflot.
Asian airline shift portends big ramifications
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Introduction
April 17, 2017, © Leeham Co.: A shift is underway among Asian airlines that could have ramifications for the airframe and engine manufacturers and, by extension, their suppliers.
It doesn’t appear, however, that aerospace analysts in the US and Europe realize this shift. At least none has written about it that we’ve seen among the research notes we receive.
Summary
- The creation of the Value Alliance of Low Cost Carriers brings together eight LCCs under one alliance.
- AirAsia faces a competitive threat.
- Full service carriers also face a threat, particularly those in Japan, concludes one aerospace analyst team in the region.
- Airbus, Boeing have a backlog of more than 1,000 airplanes with the VALCC group and hundreds more with other airlines.
Read more
Pontifications: Lessor cites cool reception to MAX 10
By Scott Hamilton
April 17, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Buckingham Research Group last week issued back-to-back notes about Boeing. One was a recap of an investors call with Steve Rimmer, CEO of Altavair Airfinance (nee Guggenheim Aviation partners). The other was BRG’s earnings preview, the first off the mark for Boeing’s earnings call on April 26.
I’ll include a summary of BRG’s earnings preview in a subsequent post when other analysts issue their previews.
BRG’s Rimmer note is lengthy and covers industry issues beyond Boeing. Here are a couple of the Boeing-focused points:
Airbus won’t hit 1:1 book:bill this year
April 14, 2017: Airbus won’t hit a 1:1 book:bill (sales:deliveries) this year and maybe not for the next few years, it was revealed at the annual general meeting Wednesday.
Credit Suisse issued a note late yesterday on a variety of topics that included this:
Bjorn’s Corner: Aircraft engines, sum up
By Bjorn Fehrm
April 14, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: We’ve been talking engines on Fridays since October 2016. The Corners covered several areas, from technologies to operations.
And we could go on and dig deeper. But we will move on.
Before we go, we sum up what we have learned in the 24 Corners around airliner Turbofans.
Figure 1. Principal picture of a three-shaft wide-body turbofan. Source: GasTurb.
Trump reverses self on ExIm Bank
April 13, 2017, © Leeham Co.: President Donald Trump reversed himself and now supports the US Export-Import Bank, according to news reports. He will appoint
Donald Trump suddenly discovered the US ExIm Bank was a “profit center” for the US Treasury. Photo via Google images.
two people to long-standing vacancies to allow ExIm to approve deals more than $10m.
ExIm, Trump now says, is a profit center for the US Treasurer.
His sudden understanding on this revelation is like his eye-opening realization that dealing with the North Korean situation isn’t easy.
Supporters of ExIm pointed out for years that the Bank returns money to the US Treasury.
Could an NMA be made good enough, Part 4?
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
April 13, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Last week we finished the sizing of the fuselage for an NMA design. Now we continue with the wing. We go through the key parameters that will decide the performance of the wing and the aircraft.
The NMA is a critical design case. The performance envelope has to be just right. Too high and the economics of the aircraft won’t work, both for purchase price and operational costs.
Figure 1. The NMA takes more and more the shape of a 767 replacement (A United 767-200). Source: United
Summary:
- Wing design is the mixing of conflicting requirements to a successful compromise.
- The NMA wing will use the design principles of the Boeing 787/777X wings but will be different in area, size and plan-form.
- The wing is sizing the engines, something we will look at in the next article.
Delta reviewing Airbus wide-body order, but more is going on
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Introduction
April 12, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Delta Air Lines today said on its earnings call that it is reviewing its wide-body order with Airbus.
At face value, the Delta statement might seem alarming. But as so often becomes the case, the “review” may not be what it seems.
Summary
- There is more activity about fleet requirements than simply “reviewing” the wide-body orders.
- Delta’s preparing to issue an RFP for single-aisle Airbus A321neos and/or Boeing 737-9/10s.
- Boeing hopes Delta will be a launch customer for the MAX 10.
- The NMA/MOM aircraft could be involved.
Aeroflot, the route to a modern airline
By Bjorn Fehrm
April 12, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: Aeroflot, established as the Soviet Union’s flag carrier in 1923, transformed from a state enterprise to a modern airline group after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The airline is today Europe’s seventh largest airline, two-thirds the size of Turkish Airlines, but having the same fast growth since 2005. We will cover Aeroflot’s journey in a series of articles, starting with the group’s history.
Figure 1. Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER. Source: Wikipedia.
United’s new advertisement after passenger incident
April 11, 2017: United Airlines is in the midst of a public relations nightmare following Sunday night’s incident in which a passenger was dragged off a flight at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
A new commercial was immediately launched, debuting on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Kimmel had his own caustic remarks.
United also recognized that it needed a new training procedure following the incident. The following is a video for its customer service training.