Odds and Ends: Random thoughts, Seinfeld style (i.e., about nothing)

We’re feeling irreverent today…. From Twitter: Boeing Defense ‏@BoeingDefense In Sept issue of #Boeing Frontiers: With #Apollo roots, Boeing has grown to be largest #aerospace employer in #Alabama http://ow.ly/dB0Ef Comment: We remember when Boeing said Alabamans couldn’t build… Read More

Cash cows at Airbus and Boeing

Eyes are on Boeing over the prospect of a 777X. Chatter doesn’t cease about the prospect of an Airbus A330neo. Boeing is in no hurry to proceed with the “7X” and an A330neo is unlikely any time soon,… Read More

Boeing rolls out Ray Conner to analysts

Boeing rolled out Ray Conner, the new CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, to analysts in New York yesterday. The first research note we’ve received, from Imperial Capital’s Ken Herbert, portrayed a positive meeting. Below is a synopsis. As… Read More

Odds and Ends: Why aircraft are late; catching up to Boeing

Why Aircraft Are Late: Boeing 747-8, 787, Airbus A380, A400M, A350, Mitsubishi MRJ, Comac ARJ-21, Sukhoi Superjet and probably Comac C919, Bombardier CSeries and Irkut MS-21–all late. It’s the new normal. Ernie Arvai at AirInsight takes a look… Read More

Boeing nabs Airbus customer SilkAir

Boeing won an important, symbolic victory over Airbus in the neo v MAX competition by nabbing SilkAir, heretofore an exclusive Airbus A320 family customer. SilkAir will order up to 68 Boeing 737-800s and -8 MAXes. After Airbus grabbed… Read More

MAX v NEO, continued

Aspire Aviation has another long piece analyzing the two airplanes. Aerotubropower takes issue with some of Aspire’s analysis in this piece. Aeroturbopower cites publicly available information from Turkish Airlines that is particularly noteworthy in the debate between Airbus… Read More

Odds and Ends: COPA, Aeromexico, GOL for MAX

The Wall Street Journal reported late today that COPA, Aeromexico and GOL are lining up for the Boenig 737 MAX. The WSJ article is subscription-only but perhaps it will show up on Google News, as some do. COPA… Read More

Post-Farnborough thoughts: why so few orders, PR overkill and more

The Farnborough Air Show is over. Here are our thoughts: For all the pre-show buzz about expected orders, with names and quantities identified, this show was a bust. Airbus was said to be shooting for 250-300 orders; it… Read More

It’s official: United orders 150 firm Boeing jets (100 Max, 50 900ERs)

Press conference Jeff Smisek, CEO United 100 737 Max 9 50 737-900ERs, replaces 757s flown domestically. Jim McNerney, CEO The Boeing Co. Thanks to UA for putting trust in us. Boeing and United go back a long, long… Read More

But what of the runway performance?

Dominic Gates of The Seattle Times has this story in which he has the following observation: Wyse revealed that Boeing, through structural efficiencies, has also beefed up the allowed maximum take-off weights for the three MAX variants. Each… Read More