Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Teamsters, Boeing have a new contract April 29, 2025
- Boeing wants to remarket China’s airplanes. It’s costly and time consuming. April 28, 2025
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 19. April 25, 2025
- How good is the C929? Part 2. April 24, 2025
- Boeing First Quarter Results Update: China is 10% of the backlog, with 500 in “Unidentified” April 24, 2025
Get over it and move on
In the three days following the withdrawal by Northrop Grumman from the KC-X tanker competition over its conclusion that the Final Request for Proposals for the USAF aerial tanker was irretrievably skewed toward the smaller Boeing KC-767, Northrop… Read More
Boeing’s secret KC-X plan
While France elevates the complaints over Northrop Grumman’s withdrawal from the USAF KC-X competition to a head-of-state level, a Boeing insider has leaked the company’s secret NewGen tanker plans to this column. We show the exclusive picture after… Read More
Boeing’s Albaugh at JP Morgan conference
Jim Albaugh, president of Boeing Commercial Aircraft, appeared March 9 at the JP Morgan Transportation Conference, one day after Northrop Grumman withdrew from the KC-X competition. Below is a running tab of Albaugh’s presentation and Q&A.
Northrop, EADS to skip tanker bid
Update, March 9, 7am PST: EADS will not independently bid for the KC-X contract, Market Watch reports. Update, 1pm PST: Northrop will no-bid and not protest, we have confirmed. EADS is undecided whether to proceed with a bid… Read More
13 minute interview with Boeing’s Albaugh
King 5 (NBC) in Seattle posted a 13 minute raw-footage interview with Boeing Commercial Airplane CEO Jim Albaugh. The audio is pretty weak on speakers, but much better on headphones.
Air Park with A350 contract in dire financial condition
The air park selected by Spirit Aerosystems as the location for a 500,000 sf facility to produce fuselage panels for the Airbus A350 is in dire financial condition and cannot repay state bonded indebtedness, according to a newspaper… Read More
Boeing selects KC-767 for Tanker
Boeing, as expected, announced that it will offer the KC-767 to the US Air Force for the KC-X aerial refueling tanker competition. The press release is below the jump. There are a couple of very specific references in… Read More
OEM proposes assmbling air unit overseas
In a story that has a bit of irony, The Financial Times has this piece about an OEM that plans to assemble an air unit overseas. (Free registration may be required.)
Northrop may decide on KC-X this week or next
Northrop Grumman may decide this week or next what it will do about the bid for the USAF KC-X Final Request for Proposal, Leeham.net understands. Northrop has said frequently and clearly that it may not bid because it… Read More
KC-X FRFP due Feb. 23; does a report hint on outcome?
The Final Request for Proposals for the USAF’s KC-X aerial tanker is due to be issued Feb. 23. The controversial and hotly contested procurement between Boeing and Northrop Grumman is supposed to be decided as a result of… Read More