The aviation industry’s pricing process is generally opaque. Nobody pays retail, even though these are the only prices quoted, Take a look at this chart which is ranked in declining cost per seat. All prices apply to January 2012 and…
Many industry analysts and consultants believe the 100-149 seat segment is the “Bermuda Triangle” for airplane manufacturers. We disagree, and here’s why. It has been the wrong market for some OEMs and for some airplanes. When OEMs tried to meet…
The conventional wisdom from the 1960s through early 2000s that when Boeing or Airbus announces a new airplane, you can expect entry into service 48 months later no longer holds true. We’ve seen significant delays for A380, 787, A400M and…
In South Africa there is a little airline called kulula that readers might enjoy learning about. The airline is owned by Comair, which also flies around Southern Africa as BA. Comair operates an LCC and a full service airline. But,…
Boeing’s 737 MAX is beginning to take off nicely. It still has less than half the firm orders of the Airbus A320neo and Boeing failed to convert as many commitments to firm orders during the Farnborough Air Show as it…
The differential in aircraft prices and operating economics between aircraft is only one factor in a fleet planning decision. Fleet commonality and additional initial and on-going expenses must also be taken into consideration to obtain a true economic picture of…