JAL A350 ground collision is first hull loss by damage and fire of an all-composite airplane

Jan. 2, 2024, (c) Leeham News: Editor’s Note: With the ground collision (Jan. 2, 2024, Tokyo time) of a Japan Air Lines Airbus A350 and its destruction by fire, we’re reposting this article from March 2009. It was… Read More

Pontifications: The light bulb goes on

  July 27, 2020, © Leeham News: Airlines across the world are pledging aircraft, slots, airport facilities and real estate to raise money. Some US airlines recently pledged frequent flyer programs to raise billions of dollars in debt… Read More

Coronavirus dominates sideline talk at aviation conference

By Scott Hamilton March 2, 2020, © Leeham News, Austin (TX): The global impact of COVID-19, the coronavirus, was the dominant talk on the sidelines of an aviation conference here. Industry professionals predict the reduction in airline service… Read More

Pontifications: The 747 revolutionized air travel

Feb. 11, 2019, © Leeham News: Few airplanes truly can be called revolutionary. Most are evolutionary. The Boeing 747 was one of those that falls into the former category. Just as the Boeing 707 revolutionized air travel, so… Read More

Pontifications: Photo essay

June 11, 2018, (c) Leeham News: In a change of pace, here are a number of photos gathered from recent visits to museums in the US and Canada. The Lockheed L-1049 Constellation of the Airline History Museum in… Read More

Assessing the United A350-900 order

Subscription Required Introduction United Airlines last week returned to the Airbus A350-900 it originally ordered. It will replace Boeing 777-200ERs beginning in 2022. Image via Google. Sept. 11, 2017, © Leeham Co.: The deal last week between United… Read More

WestJet’s 787, international strategy fraught with risks

Subscription Required Introduction Boeing 787-9. WestJet ordered 10 and placed an option for 10 more. Deliveries begin in 2019. Boeing photo. May 8, 2017, © Leeham Co.: WestJet, Canada’s #2 airline behind Air Canada, is making dramatic departures… Read More

Pontifications: Branson gets pissy over dropping the Virgin America name

April 3, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Sir Richard Branson came to Seattle last week to promote the new service by Virgin Atlantic Airlines to London. In a hissy-fit, he promptly pissed on Alaska Airlines for the business decision… Read More

Major fleet decisions may not be positive for Airbus, Boeing

Pontifications is off this week. Subscription Required Introduction March 20, 2017, © Leeham Co.: There are some major fleet decisions that will probably come down the pike this year at American, Delta and United airlines. Not all of… Read More

Airline assets and lessor assets: Bombardier and Embraer

Subscription Required Part 2. Part 1 may be found here. Introduction Bombardier invented the regional jet. Despite some sales these days, the CRJ was eclipsed by the Embraer J-Jet. Bombardier photo. Oct. 10, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Regional… Read More