Pontifications: Five-year slump in wide-body demand seen, says lessor

This is Part 1 of a series looking at wide-body aircraft demand. April 24, 2017, © Leeham Co.: We’re in a five-year slump for wide-body aircraft orders, say veteran executives of a new leasing company. This means airlines… Read More

Aeroflot, the route to a modern airline, Part 2

By Bjorn Fehrm April 19, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: In our second article about Aeroflot, the Soviet Union flag carrier that transformed to a modern airline, we will cover the period from the fall of the Soviet Union until… Read More

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

Bjorn’s Corner: Aircraft engine maintenance, Part 4

  March 24, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: After covering the maintenance market for single-aisle engines, time has come for the engines used on wide-body aircraft. The engine maintenance for a wide-body engine is a bit different to the single-aisle… 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

AirAsia X; the long route to profitability

By Bjorn Fehrm March 1, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: AirAsia X, the long haul sister of Tony Fernandes’ AirAsia, finally turned a profit during 2016. The airline, which started operation in 2007, had a bumpy ride from the start…. Read More

Pontifications: Boeing 777 production rates

Feb. 27, 2017, © Leeham Co.: When Boeing announced it will reduce 777 production to 5/mo, with actual deliveries of the 777 Classic to 3.5/mo beginning in 2018, the aerospace analyst at Goldman Sachs immediately concluded Boeing will… Read More

Airbus Group: the old Airbus haunts the new

By Bjorn Fehrm February 24, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: Airbus Group (“Airbus”) presented results for 2016 in line with guidance. The Airbus CEO Tom Enders said, “This is the best Airbus, ever.” Yet everything was not as expected; most… Read More