Aviation conferences this month

There are two aviation conferences in Washington State this month. The first is from the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance October 8. The PNAA Space & Security conference, a one day event, will be at the Museum of Flight… Read More

Odds and Ends: Safran benefits from engine after-market; ExIm could back Airbus; Paine Field future

Engine After-market: Safran, which owns 50% of CFM International with GE Aviation owning the other half, is positioned in the “sweet spot” of the engine after-market, according to a recent  report by Bernstein Research. The report further supports… Read More

After-market support becoming key to winning engine orders

Maintenance and power-by-the-hour parts and support contracts are increasingly becoming the deciding factor in deciding which engines and which airplanes will be ordered—it’s no longer a matter of engine price or even operating costs, customers of Airbus and… Read More

No more moonshots stifles innovation

Boeing CEO said there will be no more “moonshots” at Boeing when it comes to future airplane development. Airbus says it will focus on derivatives rather than new airplanes. After the program debacles of the Airbus A400M and… Read More

Looking ahead to 2014

Here’s what to look for in 2014 in commercial aviation. Airbus A350 XWB: The high-profile A350 XWB program continues flight testing this year. Entry-into-service has been a sliding target. The program is running about 18 months behind original… Read More

Production wars coming: Airbus v Boeing

If some industry observers are concerned about the prospect of over-production now, the current state of affairs may only be the tip of the iceberg. Airbus CEO Fabrice Bergier says he expects to boost production of the A320… Read More

Boeing’s future in Puget Sound, Washington–maybe Airbus, too

Yesterday we opined that the Boeing “exodus” from Washington State is a tad overblown so far. Here’s why we think so. As long as the airplane programs are derivatives of in-production aircraft, Puget Sound’s place in aerospace is… Read More

Looking ahead to 2013 in Commercial Aviation

Last year yielded a few surprises in an otherwise predictable year. Jim Albaugh shocked the aviation world when he retired unexpectedly at age 62. He was expected to remain in his position as CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes… Read More

Odds and Ends: Airbus and Boeing BBJs; Oops by Sen. Cantwell; positive SPEEA talks

MAX BBJs: Boeing is offering 737-8/9 MAX BBJs but not, as yet, a 7 MAX BBJ. Boeing says it is still studying a 7 MAX BBJ. there have so far been no orders for the 7 MAX. Airbus… Read More

The mid-size, twin-aisle battle

The mid-size twin-aisle battle While a plethora of new entrants are nipping at the heels of Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle market, the battle in the twin-aisle segment is strictly between the two behemoths. The two OEMs… Read More