Pontifications: Boeing takes another charge on tanker program; What’s next?

July 20, 2015, © Leeham Co.: Boeing on Friday took another charges against its USAF aerial refueling tanker program, the KC-46A, this time $536m after taxes ($855m before taxes). This brings the charges to date to more than $800m… Read More

Pontifications: Wizz could be first face-off of 737 MAX 200 vs “A320neo 195”

April 13, 2015: A campaign that began last year between Airbus and Boeing for a large order of 100 airplanes at Europe’s Low Cost Carrier, Wizz Air, could be the first face off between the “A320neo 195” (our… Read More

Muilenburg’s challenges as Boeing CEO

Subscription Required. Now open to all readers Introduction Jan. 27, 2015: Dennis Muilenburg has been the No. 2 at The Boeing Co. for a little more than a year. He was named vice chairman, president and COO in… Read More

Boeing 2014 orders: 1,550 gross, 1,432 net

Update, 8:45am PST: Boeing sent us this breakout of 777 and 737 orders: 777-300ER: 49 777 Freighter: 14 777X: 220 737 MAX: 891 Original Post: Boeing received 1,550 gross orders and 1,432 net orders in 2014, one of… Read More

First flight for Boeing’s KC-46A tanker program launched Sunday

Dec. 28, 2014: Boeing launched the first flight of its KC-46A tanker program on Sunday. The flight, with a 767-2C and not a tanker-configured KC-46A, was with what’s known as EMD 1. EMD stands for Engineering, Manufacturing and… Read More

Looking ahead in 2015 in commercial aviation

Here’s a visualization of events to look for in commercial aviation in 2015.  

Odds and Ends: Qatar gets first A350-900; WTO Airbus-Boeing fight, continued; A380, continued; 767-2C first flight; our Holiday schedule

Dec. 21, 2014 Here’s a piece we did for CNN.com on the Year Ahead in Aviation for 2015. Qatar gets first A350-900: Unless U-Turn Al U-Turns again, Qatar Airways will take delivery of the world’s first Airbus A350-900… Read More

Boom times leads to looming cash flow shortfall across OEMs

Subscription Required. Introduction Dec. 16, 2014: There have been record aircraft orders year after year, swelling the backlogs of Airbus and Boeing to seven years on some product lines, Bombardier’s CSeries is sold out through 2016, Embraer has… Read More

Boeing and Washington State; and: Congressional meddling may threaten KC-46A

The Washington State Legislature may consider implementing a mechanism to track the benefits of the Boeing 777X tax incentives granted last year, according to the on-line news service Crosscut. Boeing opposes the measure, according to the report.

USAF moves up AF One replacement, reports Inside Defense

Dec. 7, 2014: The US Air Force is moving up the the Presidential Aircraft Replacement program to seek Requests for Proposals next year, according to the specialty newsletter Inside Defense. An airframe purchase will occur in 2016, according… Read More