Could an NMA be made good enough, Part 4?

By Bjorn Fehrm Subscription Required 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… Read More

Pontifications: 787 production rate remains a question

April 10, 2017, © Leeham Co.:  Boeing’s first quarter earnings call is scheduled for April 26, two weeks and two days from today. Officials said on the January earnings call, for year-end 2016, that they will decide this… Read More

Middle Eastern airline turmoil hits Boeing

Subscription Required Introduction April 10, 2017, © Leeham Co.:  Tim Clark of Emirates Airline said the new breed of long-haul, low cost carriers are hurting EK’s load factors and yields. Etihad Airlines’ business strategy of taking financial stakes… Read More

Could an NMA be made good enough, Part 2?

By Bjorn Fehrm Subscription Required Introduction April 3, 2017, © Leeham Co.: In the first part of our investigation on how good an NMA can be, we explored low weight and drag fuselage design. We will now continue… Read More

Is there an NMA gap?

By Bjorn Fehrm March 21, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: The NMA (New Mid-range Aircraft), or, as it’s called more and more, the Boeing 797, is hot. The potential buyers at the recent ISTAT meeting in San Diego urged Boeing… Read More

Major fleet decisions may not be positive for Airbus, Boeing

Pontifications is off this week. Subscription Required Introduction March 20, 2017, © Leeham Co.: There are some major fleet decisions that will probably come down the pike this year at American, Delta and United airlines. Not all of… Read More

Spirit AeroSystems, the world’s largest aerostructures company

A feature report. By Bjorn Fehrm March 15, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: Spirit AeroSystems is the world’s largest aerostructures supplier, with main facilities in Wichita (KS). I visited Wichita early March and was given a guided tour of the… Read More

New Airbus-Japan venture aims for new aircraft

March 14, 2017, © Leeham Co.: A new partnership, still in the Memorandum of Cooperation stage, between France and Japan aims to expand a relationship that could lead to joint development of advanced aircraft for Airbus. The MOC… Read More

NMA “important step” for Boeing, says leading lessor

March 9, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Proceeding with a New Mid-range Airplane (NMA) is “an important step for Boeing,” says the CEO of one of the world’s preeminent leasing companies. On the other hand, Airbus probably is covered… Read More

Pontifications: Boeing 737-9 roll-out–Nothing Special in the Air

March 6, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Boeing rolls out its 737-9 MAX tomorrow. Last week, I received a call from one of the network/cable news organizations asking, What’s special about this airplane? The answer is: Nothing.