Pontifications: bleak near- to mid-term future for Rolls-Royce engine unit

June 15, 2020, © Leeham News: The jet engine division of Rolls-Royce faces an uncertain future because of its own problems, exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19 on commercial airlines. Beset by problems with its Trent 1000, Boeing… Read More

Engine Alliance undertakes PIPs, but not to level Emirates wants

June 17, 2015, Paris Air Show, c. Leeham Co. Engine Alliance, one of the two power plant suppliers for the Airbus A380, said today that it is undertaking Performance Improvement Package (PIP) upgrades to the GP7200 to lower… Read More

We want engine choice, say airlines at IATA

June 9, 2015, c. Leeham Co. Airlines want engine choices, not sole-source on airplanes, airlines said at the International Air Transport Assn. (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Miami Beach (FL). Sole-sourcing cost Boeing a major order for the… Read More

Emirates A350/787 bake-off remains wide open

June 9, 2015, c. Leeham Co. Competition between Airbus and Boeing remains wide open between the A350-900 and the 787-10, says the president of Emirates Airline despite an Internet report that the carrier has tilted toward Boeing. “No,… Read More

Rolls-Royce displaces Engine Alliance for Emirates A380 order

Rolls-Royce, in a major upset, won the Emirates Airlines order to power 50 Airbus A380s ordered in November 2013. The win displaces Engine Alliance, which to now has been the sole-source provider for EK’s A380s. Two sources confirmed… Read More

This is a pivotal year for the A380 as Airbus considers neo, PIPs

Introduction March 15, 2015: This is a pivotal year for the future of the Airbus A380. Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airline, increased the pressure for development of an A380neo when he said he’d buy up to… Read More

Notes #1 from ISTAT 2015

Snippets heard in the hallways of the 2015 ISTAT annual meeting in Phoenix: The Rolls-Royce Advance engine intended for the Airbus A380neo appears to be heavy, causing Airbus to return to Engine Alliance to discuss how the GP7200… Read More

Exclusive: Emirates Airlines gets pitch for 100 Boeing 747-8s

Update, 3:30pm PST: For those who may not be adept at reading literally what was written, we did not say Boeing made the pitch. Feb. 4, 2015: In a pitch designed to save the Boeing 747-8 and simultaneously… Read More

A380neo becoming a reality

Subscription required Introduction We last looked at the Airbus A380 economics in February, when the airframer was promoting the giant airplane as a 525 seater. Since then, Airbus recast the airplane as a 555 seater. This changes the… Read More

Rolls-Royce plans for new single-aisle, twin-aisle airplane engines

Rolls-Royce may not be at a cross road but it’s certainly at a fork in the road. RR sought to be a dual-source supplier for the Boeing 777X, competing with GE Aviation for the privilege; it was generally… Read More