HOTR: American sees virtually no travel for up to 7 months

By the Leeham News staff

April 7, 2020, © Leeham News: “Nobody’s traveling in the next 30 or 60 days,” said Vasu Raja, American Airlines Group Inc.’s senior vice president for network strategy. “But nobody is really making any plans to go travel in the next 90 to 150 days, either.

So reported the Wall Street Journal Sunday.

That basically takes you through the end of the year.

Singapore will suspend its Changi Airport Terminal 2 for 18 months from May 1. (Associated Press.)

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HOTR: Boeing has options to federal bailout, CEO says

By the Leeham News Staff

March 25, 2020: First, Boeing CEO David Calhoun said he wasn’t an insider (after 10 years on the Board of Directors, and as lead director for many of them). No, he merely had a front row seat in the movie theatre.

Then he trashed his predecessor, Dennis Muilenburg, for stock buyback and dividend policies (that the Board approved).

Next, Boeing said it needs a portion of the $60bn in federal aid it requested for the aerospace industry.

Now, Calhoun appears to have put his foot in his mouth again. Or did he?

When asked about the possibility of the government taking an equity position in Boeing as a condition to a bailout, Calhoun said Boeing has options to federal money.

The Wall Street Journal wrote yesterday, “I don’t have a need for an equity stake,” Boeing CEO Calhoun said Tuesday on Fox Business Network. “If they forced it, we’d just look at all the other options, and we have got plenty.”

There’s a very practical reason for Boeing to object to government taking an equity stake. It would effectively shut down bidding on some key defense contracts.

But wait a minute: if you’ve got all these other options, why ask for a federal bailout for Boeing?

Or was this a message to the street that Boeing is OK?

Still, on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Calhoun said if the credit markets stayed closed for eight months, it would be tough for Boeing to remain healthy.

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Heard on the Ramp: Boeing has its 777X sales challenges; Airbus A330neo appears to be next

Heard on the Ramp

We introduce today a new feature, Heard on the Ramp. This column contains news briefs LNA picks up in the market that aren’t expansive enough for stand-alone articles but which are items of interest. Publication will be on an as-needed basis.

By the Leeham News staff

March 10, 2020, © Leeham News: Last year revealed Boeing 777X order problems, with a small customer base and cancellations or deferrals. Perhaps this year will be the Airbus A330neo’s turn.

Out of 337 orders, 156 A330neos are with airlines in trouble or can’t take aircraft (AirAsiaX, Iran Air, HNA), or 46%.

This is without counting the second level of trouble airlines and lessor orders, which may have challenges placing aircraft in today’s unsettled market.

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