Defense analyst Loren Thompson picks up the old refrain about Airbus subsidies running McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed out of the commercial airliner business. We add our thoughts at the end of his article. By Loren Thompson Airbus subsidies… Read More
Ryanair terminated talks with Boeing for an order for 200 737-800s, ending a highly publicized negotiating tactic by the ever-talkative Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary. Here is the Ryanair statement. The Financial Times has this interesting take. (Free registration… Read More
There has been more foo-faw going on with the KC-X tanker competition in the past week, largely overshadowed by the first flight of the Boeing 787. Supporters of Northrop Grumman met with Pentagon officials to urge that changes… Read More
Reuters has this report saying Airbus and Boeing will decide, probably next year, whether to re-engine the A320 and 737 families. The AirInsight team of The Arvai Group, Innovation Analysis Group and Leeham Co., published the report below… Read More
As everyone interested knows, the first flight of the Boeing 787 was a success. The flight time was cut short by nearly two hours due to deteriorating weather conditions at Boeing Field, the flight’s terminus. The airplane went… Read More
Update, December 15 0445 AM (Yawn): We’re up and have already done one radio interview for first flight set for 10 am today. Weather is iffy. The hourly forecast has 60% chance of rain at 8am and 50%… Read More
China’s COMAC selected the CFM International LEAP-X engine to power its new challenge to Airbus and Boeing, the C919 150-200 seat jet, two sources tell us. Now comes news that Russia’s Irkut selected the Pratt & Whitney P1000G… Read More
United Airlines today (Dec. 08) ordered 25 Airbus A350s and 25 Boeing 787s with options for an equal number. It’s clear why UA did this: the A350 is too big to replace the Boeing 767-300 and the 787… Read More
Update, December 8: Bill Barksdale, Boeing KC-7A7 spokesman, emailed us with a response to this column. We have posted his note in the Comments section below. Original Post: The USAF used criteria in the current Draft RFP for… Read More
Bloomberg quotes the CEO of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems as saying the USAF Draft RFP for the KC-X competition favors the smaller 767. Bloomberg writes: Boeing Says Tanker Request Favors a 767-Based Plane (Update1) 2009-12-03 16:13:59.557 GMT By… Read More