Pontifications: Hawaiian Air ponders A380

Oct. 31, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Hawaiian Airlines continues to ponder the possibility of acquiring one or two Airbus A380s, its CEO said on the third quarter earnings call—something that raises eyebrows and a lot of questions with… Read More

Airline assets and lessor assets

Subscription required Introduction Part 1: The Big Two OEMs Oct. 3, 2016, © Leeham Co.: There are airline assets and there are leasing assets. That’s a good airplane but it’s not a good leasing asset. These are the… Read More

Boeing’s transition to more automation

Subscription Required Introduction Robots drill holes for fasteners. Boeing photo via Google images. Sept. 12, 2016, © Leeham News: Boeing is on a transition to improve manufacturing efficiency that will take years to complete. Dominic Gates of The… Read More

Boeing slightly leads Airbus in YTD orders

Aug. 8, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Boeing continues to lead Airbus in the race for orders post-Farnborough Air Show (FIA), but there are key orders announced there that haven’t been booked on the two OEMs order books. Boeing… Read More

State officials need to act now, ahead of lean times coming at Boeing Everett

August 4, 2016 (c) Leeham Co.: With the news that Boeing may terminate the 747-8 program, effective around 2019 when the current backlog expires, the obvious question arises: what happens to the assembly line space now occupied by the… Read More

Pontifications: Boeing is back

July 4, 2016, © Leeham Co.: It’s looking like all the pain and agony of the 787 development is behind Boeing. (Except for the deferred production costs, of course.) Boeing is back into airplane development mode. To be… Read More

Thinking outside the box at Pratt & Whitney

June 16, 2016, © Leeham Co.: “I’m working on six or eight engines. The more the better.” This startling statement comes from Alan Epstein, vice president of technology and the environment for Pratt & Whitney. It runs counter… Read More

Pontifications: The Bottom Line isn’t always about The Bottom Line

June 6, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Sweetheart deals to win strategic aircraft orders are nothing new in commercial aviation. John Leahy, COO-Customers for Airbus, last week poked Bombardier for its order from Delta Air Lines. Citing a reported… Read More

Pontifications: Airbus USA321 a milestone for US aerospace

March 28, 2016, © Leeham Co.: The first US-built A320ceo family member took to the skies for its first flight last week. The A321ceo, destined for JetBlue, is the first assembled at the new Airbus A320 plant in… Read More

Pontifications: Bad week for aerospace stocks

Feb. 1, 2016, © Leeham Co. Ouch. Boeing stock tanked about 10% last Wednesday when the company surprised analysts with unexpected news and below expectations 2016 guidance. Bombardier became a penny stock. What the heck happened?