Pontifications: Countdown to decision on Boeing’s NMA, Part 1

Jan. 14, 2019, © Leeham Co.: Two thousand nineteen begins with increasing focus on whether Boeing is going to launch the New Midmarket Aircraft (NMA, aka 797). Signs all point to a program launch, perhaps at the Paris… Read More

Airbus poised to out-deliver Boeing in 2019

Subscription Required LNC’s Corporate and Enterprise subscribers received this Jan. 3. Jan. 8, 2019, © Leeham News: Airbus is positioned to out-deliver Boeing this year, boosted by the addition of the Bombardier CSeries acquisition last year. LNC projects… Read More

2019 Outlook: COMAC’s slow but steady progress

Subscription Required Introduction Jan. 4, 2019, © Leeham News: This is not the year where China’s COMAC will have break-out progress for the C919, its challenge to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Flight testing is slow and… Read More

2019 Outlook: Boeing’s decision on NMA is the headline to watch

Subscription Required Introduction Dec. 21, 2018, © Leeham News: It is a stretch to say 2019 is a pivotal year for Boeing. There would have to be events of tsunami proportions to be pivotal for a company with… Read More

NMA must stand on its own business case

Dec. 6, 2018, © Leeham News: The prospective Boeing 797 (NMA) must stand on its own business case and not rely on aftermarket contracts for a profitable program, reports investment bank JP Morgan. JPM’s aerospace analyst Seth Seifman… Read More

Airbus’ A320neo Plus, A350neo and new single-aisle airplane

Subscription Required Introduction Nov. 26, 2018, © Leeham News: There are few secrets that stay secret for long in commercial aviation. Airplane concepts are discussed with customers. Information must be shared with suppliers. And then there’s the manufacturer’s… Read More

737-based Wedgetail to be assembled in UK, Defence official says

Update, Nov. 6: Boeing said the Wedgetail will be assembled in Renton, as it has in the past. Discussions are underway with the UK to perform final modifications there (similar to how KC-46A tankers move from final assembly… Read More

Pontifications: Pilots train for instrumentation mismatches

Nov. 5, 2018, © Leeham News: It was a week ago that Lion Air JT 610 crashed into the sea, just 13 minutes after takeoff. The crash was the first involving the Boeing 737 MAX (in this case,… Read More

Boeing’s transition in supply chain management aims to save hundreds of millions of dollars

Subscription Required Now open to all readers. Introduction Oct. 8, 2018, © Leeham News: As Boeing moves toward more automation, digital twins and 3D printing to streamline manufacturing and reduce costs, behind the scenes another major initiative has… Read More

Huge surge of A320 orders greatly exceed near-, mid-term A320 retirements

Subscription Required Introduction Oct. 4, 2018, © Leeham News: The huge surge of orders for the Airbus A320 family far outstrips the aging aircraft statistics, an analysis shows. Airbus has a backlog of more than 6,000 A320 family… Read More