From Flight Global:

SkyTeam alliance partner Delta Air Lines is ordering 15 Airbus A321s, to be delivered from 2018.

The US carrier is to fit CFM International CFM56s to the twin-engined aircraft, which will also be fitted with sharklet wing-tips, confirms Airbus.

Delta's decision follows a previous order for 30 A321s placed by the airline last year, when it also signed for a batch of Airbus A330-300s.

Airbus says the latest Delta A321s will be used to "offset jet retirements".

Delta already has 126 A320-family aircraft in its fleet, as well as 32 A330s. Vice-president for fleet strategy and transactions Nathaniel Pieper says the "opportunistic" deal will "enhance profitability, customer satisfaction, and shareholder value".

Isn't the Paris Air Show this month?

New guys... embrace the suck.

Bad news for GTF powered platforms.

Hey, that's my Mom's pet bear! And he drank all my Torpedos while I was on my last trip, just look at his eyes!

Woman, 81, accused of feeding bears back in jail

Even the bears would rather hang out in Florida than in Alaska! :D

Anyone remember a week or two ago when I published this chart here?

http://leehamnews.files.wordpress.co...28-05-2014.jpg

Just saying ... follow the numbers and you'll be right close to 100% of the time.

Now about that Delta Connection Working Group making presentations to the Advisory and Rulemaking Committee of the FAA. I don't know what they are up to, but there are problems with the numbers that tell me something is going to get dynamic.

Platforms built around specific engines are going to take a big set back when something goes KABLAM, knocking holes in the sides of the fuselage and catching on fire. That's not good for where I hoped a restoration to market stability in small jet flying might go.

... and in other news, Boeing (being run by Douglas) having laid off or ****ed off all the Boeing engineers has given up. All their airplanes for the foreseeable future are going to be Douglas style derivatives. That will be another post and probably another thread. Recall, that is what killed Douglas. Unless the Boeing shareholders some how throw off their Douglas oppressors Boeing will fade from the market.

That is an additional 15 to the 30 announced. They are capacity neutral though with 767 domestics being parked.

The chart shows seating numbers that are not the norm with the aircraft types in domestic markets. It would be interesting to see the numbers with all aircraft having a 2 class with slimline seats. I don't think things at Boeing are quite as bad as you think. The new 777 appears to be a huge hit based on sales so far. The 737max was forced on Boeing by the sales of the NEO. They preferred a new aircraft but the timeline would not work.
Things are not all roses at airbus. The A380 is a flop and will never turn a profit. The A320 NEO is taking more engineering resources then they expected and they are behind on the A330 IGW. If they build the A330NEO they put the A350 program at risk but are being forced in that direction. Emirates is making threats if they don't build the A380NEO that could be great news for Boeing.
Both companies seem to be in the reissue mode.

Sailing,

Well the Canadian moonshot went KABLOOEY yesterday I guess.

I think Boeing's lack of strategic vision (and management capability) leaves the market open for COMAC, Embraer, perhaps Bombardier and even dare I say, SPACE X.

The 707 was a moonshot and a half. Recall how much of the World commercial market had before that aircraft? It was less than 7% if memory serves correctly.

Now if Lockheed ... ah' a guy can dream, can't he?

Yeah and if we don't allow them unlimited access to our markets they are going to cancel their Boeing orders.

I will say one thing after having been raised and working with them for years; British Expats running multinational businesses are imperialistic sociopaths with the emotional balance of the typical three year old child. Working for a Monarchy just kinda suits them.

Waiting for "the sun never sets on the Emirates Empire!"