Looking ahead to 2014

Here’s what to look for in 2014 in commercial aviation. Airbus A350 XWB: The high-profile A350 XWB program continues flight testing this year. Entry-into-service has been a sliding target. The program is running about 18 months behind original… Read More

The case for an A330neo

With the increasing possibility that Airbus will defer or even drop the A350-800, the case for an A330neo becomes much stronger. Absent the A358, Airbus has no effective competition to the Boeing 787-8. The current A330, which we… Read More

Would delayed IAM vote had made a difference? We don’t think so

We really hoped we were done with this story, but the saga of the IAM 751 Boeing 777X contract vote lives on. Several complaints about the timing of the January 3 vote have been filed with the National… Read More

Outsourcing focus of Boeing report, but misses bigger picture; IAM vote aftermath; Boeing’s 2013

A long article (10 pages when printed) discusses the pitfalls Boeing had by outsourcing so much work on the 787. This much is not new. The point the article raises–transferring technology and the potential decline of US aerospace… Read More

IAM 751, in dramatic reversal, accepts Boeing 777X contract

The members of the International Association of Machinists District 751, in a dramatic reversal of its November 13 landslide contract rejection, today approved a revised contract offer from Boeing by a vote of 51% to 49%. Approval means… Read More

Tonight’s IAM 751-Boeing 777X contract vote (Update, 9p)

Vote results and IAM 751 statement are here. We’ll be at IAM 751’s headquarters tonight for the vote results. Follow us on Twitter @leehamnews for news throughout the evening from around 7pm. We’ll post results here when announced,… Read More

Countdown to IAM-Boeing vote January 3; poll results; union urged to accept; no tax breaks from WA if Boeing splits work

The New York Times has a good summary of the “optics” of the IAM-Boeing 777X situation. Two third of Readers in our on-line polling this week urged IAM 751 members to accept the Boeing contract offer that contains… Read More

Odds and Ends: Looking ahead in 2014; Boeing letter to Machinists; TWA retro choice; Screw it, let’s do it on Virgin [plane]

Looking ahead in 2014: We wrote this outlook for 2014 for CNN International Travel.  More seats, more fees, quieter year. IAM 751 members vote Friday on the ‘777X contract.‘ Here is a letter dated December 27 from Boeing… Read More

Qatar swaps A319neo to A320neo; just 29-39 orders remain

Qatar Airways has swapped its order for the A319neo in favor of the A320neo, leaving just 29-39 orders remaining for the smallest version of the neo family. Qatar became the first customer for the A319neo when it placed… Read More

2013 Year in Review: 787 grounding was the top story

We’re back from what we had planned as a holiday hiatus. This was interrupted by the IAM-Boeing 777X contract issue, of which we felt compelled to initiate some special posts. This leads off our 2013 Year in Review…. Read More