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Boeing’s New CEO Is Hands On. He’s Being Handed a Company in Crisis.

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Published: Monday, 12 August 2024 16:40

Kelly Ortberg inherits a troubled ‘go, go, go’ culture and a manufacturer burning through billions of dollars

Robert “Kelly” Ortberg was well known on Wall Street for striking big deals as the leader of Rockwell Collins. But back in Iowa, the aerospace executive was known for paying attention to issues that rarely made headlines, like the VIP spots in the company parking lot.

With little fanfare, Ortberg removed the assigned spaces for higher-ranking employees at the headquarters of Rockwell Collins. Brad Neilly, an employee, recalled how one Friday night he walked out of the building at the same time as Ortberg. The chief executive had parked even farther away from the building, “deep into the parking lot,” Neilly wrote on LinkedIn in 2021. “It was a little thing but had a big impact on me.”

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Are the Skies Going Hypersonic?

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Published: Friday, 09 August 2024 16:37

The Concorde has long been retired, but future skies may be filled with aircraft that can go even faster, criss-crossing the world in a matter of hours. Hypersonic engines that are being developed for military and government applications, like defense, drones and missiles, could one day propel future planes much faster than conventional engines for less money. Host Danny Lewis looks at the technical and business obstacles, and finds out what it would take to make hypersonic air travel a reality. 

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Are the Skies Going Hypersonic?

Jet Engines Need Constant Repairs. Their Manufacturers Are Raking In Cash.

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Published: Monday, 22 July 2024 16:41

Jet-engine durability issues and the lack of spare parts are saddling the aviation industry. 
Few industries do well when their products are forever being returned for early repairs. Jet-engine makers are currently an exception—and this is raising eyebrows.

Shares in RTX Corporation hit a record high last week after the aerospace conglomerate significantly beat second-quarter earnings forecasts. Excluding one-time effects, operating profit in its Pratt & Whitney engine-making division rose 23%. GE Aerospace also reported a surge in demand for spare parts for commercial engines, and its stock closed at a 16-year high last Tuesday. In Europe, jet-engine manufacturers Rolls-Royce and Safran are expected to post robust results when they report this week.

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Boeing Gets Flurry of Orders at International Airshow

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Published: Monday, 22 July 2024 16:36

Orders placed by Korean Air and Japan Airlines mark a much-needed show of confidence in the embattled plane maker

Boeing increase; green up pointing triangle received orders for up to 70 airplanes at the Farnborough International Airshow, marking a much-needed show of confidence in the embattled plane maker.

The deals from Korean Air and Japan Airlines come as Boeing grapples with production slowdowns and regulatory scrutiny in the wake of January’s near catastrophe on an Alaska Airlines flight. The production cut is causing the company to burn through billions of dollars in cash each quarter.

Currently, about 200 fully or mostly finished airplanes are parked in airfields, outside plants or other locations, awaiting parts such as interiors or engines.

This week, plane makers are gathering at Farnborough, one of the world’s largest aviation trade fairs, where they tend to highlight their latest products and technological advances, while also trumpeting deals for new passenger, cargo and military aircraft.

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