First report on AF447

This BBC story is a good one on the first French analysis of the crash of Air France 447. Most surprising is that the investigators believe the A330-200 was intact when it hit the water in what sounds… Read More

Customers to watch on production trends

Here is a piece we did for Commercial Aviation Online: The debate continues whether production rates on the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families should be reduced. Both manufacturers are in a tug-of-war with their supply chain over… Read More

Random Thoughts/Update, Good bye Line 2

Update, 9:20 AM: Flightblogger just posted this: Boeing to buy Vought, Line 2 to go there. This is step one in the allusion below to big news coming out of Boeing that affects Puget Sound. Original Post: ANA… Read More

Podcast: Paris Air Show, A Look Back

Addison Schonland, Richard Aboulafia and I did a podcast late yesterday, talking about the commercial orders at the Air Show, Airbus, Bombardier, the tanker program, UAVs and last but not least we took bets on whether the first… Read More

Launch aid for the A350

This is the seventh in a series of reports from the EADS media day and the Paris Air Show. It is becoming increasingly clear that Airbus is almost certain to tap launch aid from its member states (France,… Read More

787 FF June 28: Aviation Week; Umm, June 30: Flightblogger

Aviation Week magazine today reported that Sunday, June 28, is the likely day for the first flight of the Boeing 787. Read the story here. Bloomberg has a good piece on “the $15 billion dilemma” faced by Boeing… Read More

Deja vu all over again

The third in series of articles from the EADS media day and the Paris Air Show…. Your competitor has designed a new airplane that promises to be 20% more efficient than yours. You are involved in a costly… Read More

KC-777 ready to go?

Update, 6:00PM Paris Time: By now readers probably have seen the news from the Air Show on this topic: Boeing is prepared to offer either a 777-based tanker or a 767-based tanker, depending on the RFP requirements. Bloomberg… Read More

Airbus delivery level in 2010, 2011 questionable

The first in a series of reports from the EADS media day and the Paris Air Show….. Airbus will deliver about the same number of airplanes this year as it did in 2008–roughly 480–but the numbers for 2010… Read More

Performance, delays will be factors in KC-X rebid

The US Air Force is gearing up to issue a new request for proposals, perhaps as early as July, for Round 3 of the KC-X aerial refueling tanker competition. Pentagon officials hope to award a contract by year… Read More