It’s official: MTU’s engine leader named CEO of Airbus Commercial from Jan. 1; future of Open Fan and A220-500 shifts to him

By Scott Hamilton July 10, 2025, © Leeham News: It’s official: Lars Wagner becomes CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft on Jan. 1. He will succeed current CEO Christian Scherer, who will retire after 40 years at Airbus. Word… Read More

US Transpo Secretary supports zero tariffs on aerospace, but change isn’t assured

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton July 7, 2025, © Leeham News: US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants to return to aerospace’s zero-tariff agreement, dating to 1979, but cautioned that doing so requires a larger trade agreement between party… Read More

Airbus sees Boeing as medium-term competitor, with Comac next

By Scott Hamilton June 14, 2025, © Leeham News: Airbus and Boeing forecast a significant production gap during the next 20 years of more than 2,000 aircraft per year in their current outlooks released in conjunction with the… Read More

Pontifications: A330neo, still struggling, nears 300 sales

June 27, 2023, © Leeham News: Airbus inked a memorandum of understanding with lessor Avolon for 20 A330-900s at last week’s Paris Air Show. When converted to a firm contract, this will bring the -900 order book to… Read More

Air Lease Corp.’s A220 order may be followed soon by others

By Scott Hamilton Nov. 16, 2021, © Leeham News: Air Lease Corp. added another 25 Airbus A220s to its backlog with Airbus. The letter of intent, announced at the Dubai Air Show, brings ALC’s A220 backlog to 75,… Read More

Pontifications: Southwest didn’t invite Airbus to bid

April 5, 2021, © Leeham News: Southwest Airlines didn’t ask Airbus to submit a commercial bid for the A220-300, three knowledgeable sources tell Leeham News. Southwest conducted an internal technical analysis of the A220-300 vs. the 737-7 MAX…. Read More

Pontifications: Transitions, clearing the decks and turmoil at Airbus

Nov. 26, 2018, © Leeham News: With the naming of CFO and COO officers-in-waiting, Airbus Group has completed the extreme makeover of its executive ranks. The full transition won’t be complete until April. It’s widely been reported that… Read More

Pontifications: Musical chairs at Airbus

Sept. 17, 2018, © Leeham News: The surprise resignation last week by Eric Schulz as Chief Commercial Officer for Airbus re-opened the door for the man who should have been named in the first place, Christian Scherer. Scherer… Read More

Pontifications: Scrutiny of HNA intensifies

Nov. 27, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Time for some catch-up in the world of commercial aviation. Scrutiny of HNA Group is intensifying as regulators in Switzerland claim the Chinese company provided false information in the takeover of a… Read More

New ATR CEO favors clean-sheet design turboprop

Subscription Required Part 1; Bombardier will appear next week. Introduction March 30, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Economics simply don’t support development of a new turboprop any time soon, an analysis shows. Low utilization by turboprop operators, the cost… Read More