All Opinion articles – Page 35
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OpinionOPINION: First 'ski-jump' test for F-35B is good news for UK
Over the course of little more than one week, the UK’s carrier-based aviation ambitions have at last become almost tangible.
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OpinionOPINION: Boeing set for crisis-free chief executive switch
Jim McNerney’s announced plan to step aside as chief executive affords Boeing a smooth leadership transition at the top of the company for the first time since 1996.
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OpinionOPINION: Freight regrets for Airbus
Since Airbus handed over the last A300-600F in 2007 its freighter strategy has been far more miss than hit.
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OpinionOPINION: Were there really no surprises at Le Bourget?
It was supposed to be the “industrialisation” air show at Le Bourget this year.
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OpinionOPINION: How feasible is a 757 replacement?
There would have to be a market of at least 2,000 aircraft to prompt one of the big airframers to launch a product to fill the middle-of-the-market gap between their largest narrowbodies and smallest twin-aisles, Flightglobal's Ascend consultancy concludes in a new white paper.
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OpinionOPINION: Rate 60 – a narrowbody rate too far?
Airline traffic will need to keep growing aggressively to the end of the decade to absorb production rates of 60 narrowbodies a month by each of the big two manufacturers.
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OpinionOPINION: Why Dassault's wide-cabin 5X will succeed
The industry got its first glimpse of the all-new and eagerly-anticipated Falcon 5X at a dedicated roll-out ceremony on 2 June.
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OpinionOPINION: After a $100bn spend, it's time for F-35 to deliver
More than $100 billion has already been spent on developing, testing, fixing and producing about 130 Lockheed Martin F-35s for the US government. In a few weeks or months, the US taxpayer also will have the first 10 combat-ready F-35Bs for that investment.
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OpinionOPINION: Appreciating the depreciation conundrum
Ascend's head of consultancy Rob Morris weighs in on recent suggestions that the assumed economic life of an aircraft should be reduced to 18 years
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OpinionOPINION: Supply chain faces difficult decisions
To John Leahy, consultants who warn of a perilous orders bubble are the equivalent of armchair generals, spouting sceptically on an army’s military achievements from the comfort of their firesides while the real generals do the hard work of winning the war. “They don’t know what they’re talking about,” he ...
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Opinion
OPINION: The trials and tribulations of Canada's procurement process
In a country as wild – and in parts inhospitable – as Canada, and with a coastline that stretches far up into the Arctic, a fleet of search and rescue aircraft as rugged as the landscape is vital.
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OpinionOPINION: Why Europe is lagging behind with MALE ambitions
The governments of France, Germany and Italy have signed a declaration of intent to proceed with a study to define a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle, to bring an end to European reliance on foreign designs.
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OpinionOPINION: Why business jet builders must keep their nerve
Business jet buyers are a fickle lot. Most airlines expect a new commercial aircraft to provide reliable service for at least 12 years before a replacement is even considered. But the average owner of a corporate aircraft starts looking for an upgrade in about half that time.
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Opinion
OPINION: Disruption management in the social media age
I heaved a sigh of relief as I heard the satisfying beep of the reader the agent used to scan my boarding pass. I had made my Air France flight to Paris, but just by a whisker, after the gate was officially closed on the departure displays.
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Opinion
OPINION: Why O'Leary has reinvented Ryanair
The reinvention of Ryanair over the last two years has been remarkable. And the fact that it has happened with one-time low-cost enfant terrible Michael O’Leary at the helm has been all the more astonishing.
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OpinionOPINION: Why Pilatus, Antonov gambles have different stakes
First flights appear to be like London buses: you wait ages for one and then two come along at once.
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Opinion
OPINION: Airbus hit hard by A400M tragedy
Disaster struck the A400M programme on 9 May, when an aircraft due to be delivered to the Turkish air force in June crashed shortly after starting its first flight from Airbus’s final assembly site in Seville. Four of the six flight-test personnel on board the military transport tragically lost their ...
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OpinionOPINION: No more near misses
The FAA should be commended for allowing further cautious airspace use by unmanned air vehicles, but its previous inaction put too many lives at risk
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Opinion
OPINION: Why the US military must do more with less
Another 2,000 aircraft are projected to exit the US military’s inventory over the next decade. For the fleets of many countries, this would be an existential crisis. But this is the American fleet, so it is only a 15% cut.
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OpinionOPINION: Can we all learn to love Ryanair?
Is Michael O’Leary a sinner come to repentance? For years, Ryanair seemed to delight in being vile to customers. Cheap fares, an extensive network, modern (if frill-free) aircraft and punctual service kept punters rolling in. But few would have professed any kind of warm feelings to Europe’s biggest short-haul airline.