China distorts progress in Boeing 737 MAX return to service

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton Introduction June 28, 2021, © Leeham News: There are now 265 Boeing 737 MAXes in airline service, according to data reviewed by LNA. There are 263 MAXes in storage that appear to be… Read More

The Ultrafan Project

Subscription Required By Vincent Valery Introduction   June 21, 2021, © Leeham News: Rolls-Royce launched the Ultrafan in 2014, a project to develop next-generation geared turbofan engines. The engine OEM has been working on that project ever since. The… Read More

Freighter conversion will absorb some excess widebody supply – but not all

Subscription Required By Judson Rollins Introduction June 17, 2021, © Leeham News: A key question hanging over the used widebody market is what percentage of available aircraft could be converted into freighters. Indeed, existing passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion providers… Read More

Pontification: It’s time to replace the 737, says industry leader

June 14, 2021, © Leeham News: One of commercial aviation’s most influential leaders said last week Boeing needs to replace the 737 with a new technology airplane. Steven Udvar-Hazy, chairman of Air Lease Corp., said in a CNBC… Read More

Industry stands together on safety

By Scott Correa Special to Leeham News  May 27, 2021, © Leeham News: Forty-two years ago this week, I puked at work. On May 25, 1979, an American Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 crashed on take off from Chicago’s… Read More

2021 fleet trends: small jets get bigger, bigger jets get smaller – and the old makes way for the new

Subscription Required By Judson Rollins Introduction  May 13, 2021, © Leeham News: Aviation data provider Cirium said last week that just under 7,850 commercial aircraft were still in storage, down from 8,684 at the beginning of the year… Read More

Uneven financial challenges among OEMs

Subscription Required By Vincent Valery Introduction   May 3, 2021, © Leeham News: The three largest commercial aircraft OEMs and their largest suppliers continue to report impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in their 2020 financial results. The pandemic and… Read More

Why the MAX isn’t back – yet

Subscription Required By Judson Rollins Introduction  April 29, 2021, © Leeham News: Much virtual ink has been spilled in recent weeks over an apparent surge in demand for Boeing’s 737 MAX, as a slow drip-drip-drip of cancellations finally… Read More

Unsustainable – and growing – airline debt load weighs on OEMs, suppliers

Subscription Required By Judson Rollins Introduction  April 22, 2021, © Leeham News: COVID-19 has forced every layer of the commercial aviation supply chain, apart from cargo airlines, to streamline their businesses and raise cash to survive. Nowhere has… Read More

Aviation Writers Bloc: Calhoun’s Countdown

April 15, 2021, © Leeham News: Boeing CEO David Calhoun turns 64 on April 18. This means he is in his final year on Boeing’s Board of Directors and as an employee, unless the Board extends his contract… Read More