Jon Ostrower

Three Points: Qatar gives Delta a hand, supersonic squishiness, 737 Max miscellany

Jon Ostrower·August 11, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has made strange bedfellows out of Delta Air Lines and Qatar Airways, who are on the same side to save bankrupt LATAM. Virgin Galactic's Mach 3 concept for a supersonic airliner is more than a little squishy. The FAA has started the clock on public comments for the 737 Max return to service and other goings on for the grounded airliner.

The first 787 Dreamliner assembled in South Carolina leaves the North Charleston factory in April 2012.

Boeing’s long and inevitable road to South Carolina

Jon Ostrower·August 1, 2020

Boeing has a 30-year vision for North Charleston. Consolidating the 787 Dreamliner program to South Carolina was never an if, but rather a when.

Colliding interests will force engine makers into a new business model

Jon Ostrower·July 23, 2020

You can only blame so much on a pandemic. Like a pre-existing condition that can make a case of COVID-19 deadly versus asymptomatic, the business model governing engine makers and their relationship to aircraft manufacturers made them exceptionally vulnerable. The collapse of global commercial aviation merely revealed the fundamental weakness baked into the relationship.

Three Points: Non-Farnborough, predicting traffic, BA sunsets 747

Jon Ostrower·July 20, 2020

There was supposed to be an air show in Farnborough this week. And even if there was, Americans wouldn't be able to attend. Our Travel Sentiment model is reliably predicting the ups, downs and stagnation of the U.S. air traffic recovery. Here's an update. British Airways decommissions its 747 fleet, another in a series of the long goodbye to the Queen of the Skies. It's hard out there for big airplanes.

Coronavirus shreds the engine maker business model

Jon Ostrower·July 16, 2020

The first in a two-part series on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business of building commercial aircraft...

Three Points: 737 Max recertification trials, Comac’s ARJ21 hat trick, Airbus autonomous landings

Jon Ostrower·June 30, 2020

With FAA recertification flights underway, Boeing's last leg to service re-entry for the 737 Max has begun. Comac makes a triple ARJ21 delivery, signaling an important new phase for the China's aerospace manufacturing proving ground. Airbus autonomous airliner flights trials wrap up and illustrate the different paths toward letting and aircraft make their own decisions.

Boeing, Spirit disband engineering teams designing Aerion supersonic business jet

Jon Ostrower·June 17, 2020

Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber Release DateJune 17, 2020Boeing, Spirit disband engineering teams designing Aerion supersonic business jetPurchase...

A General Electric GE9X engine on display at the 2019 Paris Air Show.

Three Points: Slattery to GE, 777-8F & A380 combi, staggering airline losses

Jon Ostrower·June 15, 2020

Major leadership changes at GE, Embraer and Mitsubishi. What if the 777X freighter is too small? And what of an A380 combi? COVID-19 will wipe out 20 cents of every dollar earned by airlines for the last half century.

Boeing’s 737 Max software done, but regulators plot more changes after jet’s return

Jon Ostrower·June 11, 2020

Boeing, regulators and airlines are cautiously optimistic a conclusion to the grounding of the 737 Max is realistically — and finally — in sight. That sets the stage for the jet’s return to flying around September at the earliest. All of this is happening while simultaneously plotting further long-term safety improvements to the aircraft to assuage regulator concerns, including adding systems to the Max that were previously rejected during the jet’s initial development.

Three Points: Compass & Breeze, China overtakes the U.S., SpaceX video podcast

Jon Ostrower·June 5, 2020

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The Mitsubishi SpaceJet — as we know it today — is dead

Jon Ostrower·May 27, 2020

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ intent to cultivate a new market for the Japanese conglomerate in North America has been withdrawn. Its purpose, the creation of a next-generational regional jet, is on hold indefinitely. Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, or Mitac, MHI’s commercial aircraft unit, is now set to shutter its operations in North America and Europe, the company confirmed last Friday. With letting go of Mitac’s international presence, its parent has reabsorbed its aircraft division leaving an indefinitely-paused future for the existing M90.

Three Points: Airplanes of e-commerce, a traveler’s coronavirus colonoscopy, emergency autoland certified

Jon Ostrower·May 18, 2020

The new airplanes of e-commerce If this global pandemic has proven anything, it’s that it has been a massive accelerator...