Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Odds and Ends: Korean tanker competition sounds like US rerun; About that blister on the top of airliners; JetBlue explains bags, seats
Korean tanker competition: South Korean is holding a competition for an aerial refueling tanker and in many respects, it sounds like a rerun of the USAF competition between Airbus and Boeing. In the US contest, major debates happened… Read More
Little progress on A330 production gap
Subscription required. Introduction With the end of the year a mere five weeks away, Airbus appears to have made little progress in closing its production gap for the A330. Summary Airbus still has a gap of approaching 150… Read More
Odds and Ends: No Boeing response to A321neoLR; After DL loss, Boeing wins Kuwait; It’s ‘huge’
No response to A321neoLR: Reuters reports that Boeing isn’t going to respond to the Airbus A321neoLR, the airplane intended to be a bonafide replacement for the Boeing 757. “We are very happy with where the MAX 9 sits… Read More
Odds and Ends: JetBlue defers A320s; Delta’s A350 order; Another KC-46A delay?
JetBlue defers A320s: This US airline announced at its investors’ day that it is deferring Airbus A320s from this decade into next. JP Morgan had this commentary November 19: JetBlue…announced a deferral of 18 A320-family aircraft from 2016-18… Read More
Lufthansa to use A340s in “lower cost” operation; our analysis against the 787
Subscription required. By Scott Hamilton and Bjorn Fehrm Introduction Low cost long haul service is gaining traction, but previous efforts proved difficult to be successful. Dating all the way back to Laker Airways’ Skytrain and the original PeoplExpress… Read More
Airbus wins Delta wide-body order
Airbus has won the hotly-contested competition for 50 wide-body airplanes, two sources tell Leeham News and Comment. Airbus will sell Delta 25 A350-900s and 25 A330-900s, our sources say. Rolls-Royce is the sole-source engine supplier. Boeing hoped to… Read More
Delta looks to double Seattle gates as wide-body decision nears
Delta Air Lines wants to double the number of its gates at Seattle, potentially allowing more than 300 flights a day, Bloomberg News reports. The story appeared just weeks before Delta will make its decision whether to order… Read More
Airbus group reports Q3 and first nine month 2014 results
Airbus today reported Q3 and first nine months results for 2014. It could be summarized with one sentence, “steady so”. It is an Airbus group more in control of their destiny and programs then it has ever been,… Read More
Zhuhai airshow: Airbus gains A320 MOU while regional A330 needs explaining
The Zhuhai airshow has not brought the expected slew of announcements from Western aircraft manufacturers. Boeing announced an order for 80 737 MAX Monday but this was characteristically from a leasing company across the Chinese see, SBMC Capital… Read More