Some retrospective thoughts of 2012

As the year winds down, we look back and view the year as somewhat anti-climatic. We thought Boeing would make a decision on what to do about the 777X. Hasn’t happened. We thought there would be a formal… Read More

Odds and Ends: Bombardier lands Delta’s RJ deal; 787 events in perspective; Airbus/China; Enders victory

Delta Air Lines: Bombardier, in a welcome development, landed a major order with Delta for 40+30 CRJ900s, beating out Embraer’s E-Jet proposal. Delta has a large, installed base of CRJs and EMB wasn’t too optimistic, in management-analysts meetings… Read More

Random thoughts about Airbus, Boeing and related issues

We’ve been traveling on business all week and naturally the conversation was all aviation. We spoke with lessors, aerospace analysts, hedge funds and private equity. In what amounts to a data dump, here is what is being discussed… Read More

Odds and Ends: A320 Sharklet tests better than forecast; Emirates and A350-1000

Back to work: Airbus flight tests reveal that its Sharklet is one-half percent better on long-range operations than had been forecast. . The company revealed that the A320 Sharklet 4% better fuel burn than the current airplane on… Read More

Odds and Ends: To fly or not to fly–CSeries; Qatar’s A350s; A320 production rates

CSeries: Bombardier’s sales chief says the CSeries might fly earlier than the six month delay announced on the earnings call. See this Reuters report from China’s Zhuhai Air Show. Qatar’s A350: Flight Global’s David Kaminski-Morrow reports Qatar switched… Read More

Bombardier announces delay in CSeries first flight

Earnings Call Update: We’ve made substantial progress. First flight will be by end of June 2013 with EIS for CS100 a year later. CS300 timeline still EIS YE2014. BBD did not identify “major systems” that are taking longer… Read More

Odds and Ends: Good week for Boeing; 777X-no news yet; SPEEA; Bombardier earnings call

Good Week for Boeing: Last week was a good one for Boeing: after a short delay, United Airlines received its second 787 and the type entered domestic service with the carrier Sunday (technically, of course, that’s “this” week)…. Read More

Odds and Ends: Germans withhold Loans on A350; CSeries; SPEEA update

A350 Loans: The German government is withholding repayable loans (aka launch aid) for the Airbus A350 in another one of its regular snits over work share. Airbus ought to forget these loans and either self-fund or go to… Read More

Odds and Ends: Retrofit interior for 737, A320; CRJ200F; CSeries FTV assembly starts

Retrofit Interior for 737: Heath Tecna, an interiors firm, is offering a Boeing-like Sky Interior design for retrofit with a target market of more than 3,000 Boeing 737NGs. APEX magazine’s Mary Kirby (formerly of Flight Global) has this… Read More

Odds and Ends: A350 launch aid; strike at Bombardier biz jets; Embraer demand off; EADS-BAE

A350 Launch Aid: The US Trade Rep says it has the documents outlining $4.5bn in launch aid for the Airbus A350, according to a Reuters story. Predictably, Boeing and the USTR have gone in to overdrive. The A350… Read More