Leeham News
• Howard Hardee
Reducing traveled work at Spirit AeroSystems’ former facility in Wichita, Kansas, remains critical to Boeing’s effort to reintegrate the operation and increase 737 MAX production rates. The persistent issue underscores the manufacturing and integration challenges accompanying Boeing’s Spirit takeover.
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Members of a Boeing engineers’ union voted down a proposed four-year employment agreement last week, leaving the parties without a defined path forward. The rejection raises the risk of fresh labor disruption after Boeing machinists walked off the job in 2024 and 2025.
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Reducing traveled work at Spirit AeroSystems’ former facility in Wichita, Kansas, remains critical to Boeing’s effort to reintegrate the operation and increase 737 MAX production rates. The persistent issue underscores the manufacturing and integration challenges accompanying Boeing’s Spirit takeover.
Embraer’s Phenom 300EV has received certification from aviation authorities in Brazil, the U.S. and Europe, clearing the light business jet for global operations. The aircraft is the first light jet certified with Garmin Emergency Autoland, while Embraer positions it as the fastest and longest-range aircraft in its class.
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Embraer’s latest Phenom 300EV variant has received simultaneous certification from Brazil’s ANAC, the FAA and EASA, clearing the Garmin Emergency Autoland-equipped light jet for operation in three major markets. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028, extending certified autoland capability into the light business-jet segment.
United Aircraft Corp.’s modernized Il-114-300 twin-turboprop has completed a series of high-temperature tests in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. The campaign was intended to verify the aircraft’s capabilities in demanding conditions and expand its validated performance envelope as Russia advances its domestic commercial-aircraft programs.
Melrose Industries shares rose after GKN Aerospace said it is targeting Sept. 28 for full production to resume at its Garden Grove, California, facility following a May chemical-tank incident. The company expects related damage claims to reach $100 million, while strong first-half results underscore the disruption’s financial significance.
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The sole-source, 11-year IDIQ contract covers virtually every element of Boeing’s F-15 Eagle Crest program, including new production, upgrades and sustainment. Its Foreign Military Sales scope names Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Poland as potential customers.
The Orange County district attorney ended a criminal investigation into a GKN Aerospace factory after a chemical incident forced more than 50,000 nearby residents from their homes in May. The office announced a claims program that could provide up to $100 million to affected residents.
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