Looking ahead to 2014

Here’s what to look for in 2014 in commercial aviation. Airbus A350 XWB: The high-profile A350 XWB program continues flight testing this year. Entry-into-service has been a sliding target. The program is running about 18 months behind original… Read More

The case for an A330neo

With the increasing possibility that Airbus will defer or even drop the A350-800, the case for an A330neo becomes much stronger. Absent the A358, Airbus has no effective competition to the Boeing 787-8. The current A330, which we… Read More

A330neo prospect gains traction

Note: The following was distributed to our e-mail list December 23. Last week, American Airlines (as predicted) swapped the A350-800s for A350-900s. The possibility of Airbus launching an A330 new engine option appears to be gaining ground. Our… Read More

Odds and Ends: AirAsiaX plans A330 order; AA’s livery; vote for TWA heritage livery

AirAsiaX plans A330 order: AirAsiaX, the long-haul low cost carrier, plans a large order for the Airbus A330 this week, according to Bloomberg. A380’s future: Bloomberg News talks about the future of the Airbus A380 with CEO Fabrice… Read More

Key events Dec. 10-12: Boeing, EADS, Air Canada

There are some key events to follow today through Thursday: December 10: The Requests for Proposals for the site selection of the 777X are due into Boeing today. Media will be trying to find details, but Boeing certainly… Read More

Airbus, Boeing production backlogs stretch to late this decade, early next decade

Airbus and Boeing production backlogs stretch to late this decade and into the beginning of next decade for most of their commercial aircraft, based on today’s production rates. We previously wrote about the waning sales of the 777… Read More

DXB13 Day 3: Bombardier, Boeing, Airbus announce small orders

Bombardier, Boeing and Airbus each snared some orders at Day 3 of the Dubai Air Show: Bombardier A Letter of Intent from Iraqi Airways for 5+11 CS300s; Abu Dhabi Aviation ordered two Q400ss; and Nok Air of Thailand… Read More

DXB13 Day 1: Airbus scores big orders, Boeing launches 777X

From the Dubai Air Show, Day 1: Airbus Emirates orders 50 A380s Qatar orders A330s Qatar would buy A350-1000 stretch Etihad Orders A350, A320 Boeing 777 Launched: Boeing New Airplane; Montreal Gazette, reporting from Dubai Aviation Week: 787… Read More

Odds and Ends: Looking toward the South; Lion Air updates CSeries interest; 787 fuel advantage

Looking toward the South: As a follow-up to our previous post, Implications of the IAM-Boeing talks on 777X, here is a commentary from The Wall Street Journal about the migration of US industry to the South, were unions… Read More

Odds and Ends: MC-21 to be renamed; Boeing buys land; seat wars ahead?

MC-21 to be renamed: After creating a brand for the Russian Irkut MC-21, authorities have decided to rename the airplane the Yak 242, according to this article in Flight International. The article is too brief to explain the… Read More