Pontifications: “We’re sick and tired of new technologies:” Avolon CEO

Editor’s Note: As Airbus and Boeing consider new airplanes, their current generation aircraft are plagued with technical issues. The engines on the A320neo and 737 MAX families continue to have problems years after entry into service. The Boeing… Read More

Pontifications: Moonshot for engines for Next Boeing Airplane may have to wait

Sept. 12, 2023, © Leeham News: The Next Boeing Airplane (NBA) may be a moonshot for CEO David Calhoun, but airlines will probably be reluctant to take a moonshot on the next new engine. Service issues with the… Read More

GTF’s troubled history hurting future orders

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton and Bjorn Fehrm May 8, 2023, © Leeham News: India’s GoFirst Airlines filed for bankruptcy last week. The carrier pointed to around 29 of its 50 Pratt & Whitney Geared TurboFan-powered Airbus A320neos… Read More

HOTR: China’s desire for aerospace self-sufficiency threatens Airbus, Boeing

By the Leeham News Team China’s goal for C919 China’s state-run aviation industry is working toward self-sufficiency because of sanctions. But it is these same sanctions that will make it difficult to achieve. Beijing wants to shift to… Read More

Pontifications: A lost decade for new airplanes

By Scott Hamilton Subscription Required Dec. 5, 2022, © Leeham News: In September 2020, LNA wrote that commercial aviation was facing a “lost decade.” The impetus for this prediction was the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. “Commercial aviation is facing… Read More

How Boeing can pursue new airplane sooner than 2030 decade

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton Nov. 7, 2022, © Leeham News: Boeing is methodically working through the full return of the 737 MAX to service, a process that will continue to early 2025 to clear the stored inventory…. Read More

Pontifications: Rolls-Royce and the Next Boeing Airplane

April 18, 2022, © Leeham News: The aviation industry is waiting to see what Boeing will do when it comes to a new airplane. The Next Boeing Airplane (NBA), whatever form it takes, will largely be driven by… Read More

For next new airplane, Pratt appears to trail CFM for next new engine

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton Feb. 21, 2022, © Leeham News: As Boeing ponders whether to launch a new airplane program and industry consensus seems to be that this must happen in 2023 or 2024, Pratt & Whitney… Read More

CFM’s Open Fan targets mid-2030s for entry into service

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton CFM RISE Open Fan. Credit: CFM. Feb. 1, 2020, © Leeham News: GE Aviation appears confident the CFM open rotor engine—a concept that was flight tested back in the 1980s—is an engine whose… Read More

Supply chain focus: Safran’ s first 2020 quarter

By Bjorn Fehrm May 5, 2020, ©. Leeham News: Next out in our COVID19 supply chain focus is Safran Group. Safran, together with GE Aviation, is the largest supplier of turbofan engines to the World’s airliners. Their success… Read More