Logical conclusions: Airbus wide-body decisions

A330 programme. The long range programme presents no new challenges. However, managing the order book beyond 2016 becomes more challenging due to competition from A350 XWB and Boeing 787. —From the Airbus Group 2013 Annual Report We have… Read More

Odds and Ends: Yields vs growth; 757RS continued; 787 wind tests; airport vs environment

Yields vs growth: AirAsiaX, the long-haul, low cost unit of AirAsia Group, faces that perpetual problem: yields vs growth. Reuters has this story about the conundrum of sacrificing profits now for a long-term growth strategy. It’s always a… Read More

Odds and Ends: Composites in future airplanes; Boeing and Hillary Clinton; 757 MAX; AA swaps A321neo orders; Delta RFP

Composites in future airplanes: Composites World has a post about the use of composites in the future, with a good graphic detailing the increasing use of this material in airliners. Boeing and Hillary Clinton: The Washington Post has… Read More

More A350-800 orders vanish

Twelve more Airbus A350-800 orders vanished as Aircraft Purchase Fleet canceled, according to the latest tally from Airbus. APF is the special purpose company set up for Alitalia Airlines, which is a financial basket case and probably couldn’t… Read More

Filling the production gap for A330 and 777 Classic: huge challenge ahead

Two orders were announced this week for the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777-300ER, important for filling the production gaps of each airplane. In the aggregate, the current backlogs go through 2016, though in reality, they stream beyond that… Read More

No stress on the order backlog, says Airbus at ISTAT

Airbus doesn’t see any “stress” in its aircraft order backlog, or “skyline,” says Andrew Shankland, senior vice president of leasing markets from the European manufacturer. Shankland spoke with us at the annual meeting of the International Society of… Read More

Public pressure mounts on Airbus to launch A330neo

Public pressure is building on Airbus to launch a re-engining of its A330 medium-sector, twin-aisle, aging airplane as CIT Aerospace and Air Lease Corp. officials joined Delta Air Lines and AirAsia in their previous overt calls for development… Read More

Airbus and Boeing square off at ISTAT

Andy Shankland, senior vice president of leasing markets for Airbus, and Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing, were next up at the ISTAT annual meeting in San Diego today. The following is a synopsis and paraphrasing… Read More

CIT Aerospace looks at A330 future

CIT Aerospace, one of the Top Tier lessors in the business, takes a look at the future options of the Airbus A330. In a short paper released concurrent with the start of the AGM of ISTAT, the International… Read More

Odds and Ends: MH370, Day 5; Delta’s RFP

MH370, Day 5: Yesterday brought another round of frenzied media coverage when the Chinese government released satellite images of what might be pieces of the Malaysian 777 in the water, 140 miles west of the last known contact… Read More