Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Little progress on A330 production gap
Subscription required. Introduction With the end of the year a mere five weeks away, Airbus appears to have made little progress in closing its production gap for the A330. Summary Airbus still has a gap of approaching 150… Read More
Odds and Ends: No Boeing response to A321neoLR; After DL loss, Boeing wins Kuwait; It’s ‘huge’
No response to A321neoLR: Reuters reports that Boeing isn’t going to respond to the Airbus A321neoLR, the airplane intended to be a bonafide replacement for the Boeing 757. “We are very happy with where the MAX 9 sits… Read More
Airbus wins Delta wide-body order
Airbus has won the hotly-contested competition for 50 wide-body airplanes, two sources tell Leeham News and Comment. Airbus will sell Delta 25 A350-900s and 25 A330-900s, our sources say. Rolls-Royce is the sole-source engine supplier. Boeing hoped to… Read More
Delta looks to double Seattle gates as wide-body decision nears
Delta Air Lines wants to double the number of its gates at Seattle, potentially allowing more than 300 flights a day, Bloomberg News reports. The story appeared just weeks before Delta will make its decision whether to order… Read More
Boeing fails to assure on 777 production gap
Subscription required Introduction Boeing’s ability—or inability—to bridge the production gap for the 777 Classic to the 777X entry-into-service in 2020 was a top concern of a series of Wall Street types during a recent series of meetings we… Read More
Delta’s wide-body fleet plan: could it include used 777-200ERs?
Delta Air Lines is supposed to make a decision on its Request for Proposals for 50 wide-body aircraft before the end of this year, perhaps as early as next month. The competition is hot between the Airbus A330-900,… Read More
Part 2: Boeing 757: Airbus A321neoLR as a replacement on long and thin routes
Subscription required. By Bjorn Fehrm Part 2 of 3 Introduction In Part 2 of our three-part 757 Replacement analysis, we take a close look at Airbus’ new 97 tonnes take off weight A321neo, revealed by Leeham News and… Read More
Odds and Ends: Airbus to lower A330 rate; Mitsubishi MRJ rollout Saturday; Delta retiring 747s; Enders slams German government; MC-21
MC-21 will claim 10% of world market: So Irkut claims. Here’s a 10 minute video. Update, 7am PDT Oct. 17: Airbus announced it will lower production rates on the A330ceo from 10 to nine a month in… Read More
Part 1–Boeing 757: An analysis of facts and myths
Subscription required. By Bjorn Fehrm Part 1 of 3 Introduction The Boeing 757 was developed in the late 1970s as a replacement for Boeing’s popular 727 mid-range single aisle aircraft. Starting from the smaller 727, it ultimately grew… Read More
Air Berlin 787 cancellation potentially gives Boeing big advantage in Delta order competition
The announcement last week that AirBerlin canceled orders for 15 Boeing 787s gives Boeing an unexpected, big advantage in the contest for a big wide-body order from Delta Air Lines–depending on when Delta wants the airplanes. The competition… Read More