Pontifications: Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and export credit support

April 18, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Export Credit for airliners was back in the news last week, with the US taking aim at the prospect of Canada’s agency supporting sales of the Bombardier C Series to the US… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: The role of a Flight Management System

  15 April 2016, ©. Leeham Co: In several of my Corners when describing flight control systems and autopilots for airliners, I have written about the aircraft’s Flight Management System (FMS) without actually describing its role completely. The… Read More

Can Bombardier extend CS300 to a CS500?

By Bjorn Fehrm Subscription required Introduction April 14, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: Bombardier is working hard to get additional mainline airline customers for its C Series project. The latest discussion is whether Delta Air Lines would replace its… Read More

Alcoa lowers guidance, cites slowing jet sales, production ramp up

April 13, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Alcoa, a major supplier to Airbus and Boeing, lowered its 2016 guidance on anticipated lower demand for aluminum on lower orders for legacy commercial airliners and a slower than expected transition to… Read More

Prices set for years, Boeing cost-cutting goes straight to bottom line

April 12, 2016: Prices for Boeing and Airbus planes are set through the remaining decade, meaning any cost-cutting being pursued by Boeing will flow straight to the bottom line, a new note issued yesterday from Bernstein Research concludes…. Read More

Why Boeing won’t take a charge on 787s

Subscription Required Introduction Boeing 787-9. Source: Boeing. April 11, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Boeing has $29bn in deferred production costs and another $3bn in deferred tooling costs for its 787. The accounting block, for its program accounting, is… Read More

Pontifications: Catching up on the KC-46A, KC-30A

April 11, 2016, © Leeham Co.: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that the Boeing KC-46A aerial refueling tanker for the US Air Force has “challenging testing and delivery schedules” ahead in its annual review of the program…. Read More

Trends in cabin amenities

By Bjorn Fehrm 05 April 2016, ©. Leeham Co: We are at the Aircraft Interior eXpo, AIX 2016, to check out what’s new where the aircraft meets the passenger. We got to the expo in Hamburg on a… Read More

Alaska, Virgin confirm merger

April 4, 2016, (c) Leeham Co.: Alaska Air Group and Virgin America confirmed weekend reports that they reached a deal to merge. The replay of the Alaska webcast/conference call, with slide show, is here. Rationale includes what LNC outlined… Read More

Boeing has lost neo/MAX battle; time to refocus goals

Subscription Required Introduction April 4, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Boeing should forget about competing with Airbus for market share. The Airbus A320neo. Airbus has won the single-aisle battle between the neo and Boeing 737 MAX. Boeing needs to… Read More