Ray conner boeing biography of rory

When you think of the up-and-coming players in the commercial drone market, you might think of Amazon, or Google … but how about AT&T?

“AT&T is going to be one of the biggest users of drones in the United States,” Art Pregler, who heads AT&T’s drone program and serves as director of national mobility systems, told GeekWire in an interview.

That may sound like a bold statement – but Pregler is just reinforcing what John Donovan, AT&T’s chief strategy officer and president of technology and operations, said last month at the company’s Shape conference in San Francisco.

Long before Amazon gets its drone delivery fleet in operation in the United States, AT&T will be deploying fleets of robo-fliers across the nation, thanks to regulatory changes that took effect this week.

Because of those changes, AT&T is now able to use unmanned aircraft systems to inspect cellular towers and check cellphone reception in urban areas – including the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium, where the procedure is being demonstrated this week.

Get the full story on GeekWire.

Wide-body jet airliner developed from Airbus A330

The Airbus A330neo ("neo" for "New Engine Option") is a wide-body airliner developed by Airbus from the original Airbus A330 (now A330ceo – "Current Engine Option"). A new version with modern engines comparable with those developed for the Boeing 787 was called for by operators of the A330ceo. It was launched on 14 July 2014 at the Farnborough Airshow, promising 14% better fuel economy per seat. It is exclusively powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 which has double the bypass ratio of its predecessor.

Its two versions are based on the A330-200 and -300: the -800 has a range of 8,150 nmi (15,090 km; 9,380 mi) with 257 passengers while the -900 covers 7,200 nmi (13,330 km; 8,290 mi) with 287 passengers. The -900 made its maiden flight on 19 October 2017 and received its EASA type certificate on 26 September 2018; it was first delivered to TAP Air Portugal on 26 November 2018 and entered service on 15 December. The -800 made its first flight on 6 November 2018 and received EASA type certification on 13 February 2020; the first two -800s were delivered to Kuwait Airways on 29 October 2020 and entered service on 20 November. As of January 2025, a total of 384 A330neo family aircraft had been ordered by more than 25 customers, of which 151 aircraft had been delivered.

Development

Studies

At the Boeing 787 launch in 2004, Airbus' initial response was an improved A330. After negative feedback from airlines and lessors, the A350 XWB became a new design in 2006. After the A320neo launch in December 2010 and its commercial success, the largest airline of Malaysia – an all-Airbus operator – AirAsia asked Airbus to re-engine the A330. New engines like the GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 developed for the 787 could offer a 12%–15% fuel burn improvement, and sharklets at least 2%.

Airbus sales chief Jo

The Dublin-based budget airline Ryanair announced in early September the purchase of 100 new models of Boeing’s 737, with an option to purchase 100 more. The deal is valued at over $22 billion. Ryanair is the first airline to buy the new aircraft, according to The New York Times.

Boeing’s new 737s are designed to fit even more passengers in the single-aisle frame – where the existing maximum is 189, the so-called 737 Max 200, will, per its title, be able to accommodate (or squeeze) up to 11 more passengers. Ryanair, however, will only be adding eight seats, avoiding the cost of adding an additional exit door and crew member that would be required if the full seating capacity was utilized. According to Ryanair, it will do so by using less-bulky seats that do not recline and eliminating the front and rear galleys.

But, while you may be appropriately concerned about the legroom, already a persistent cause for concern among flyers of Europe’s budget airlines, Michael O’Leary said that’s not the case, calling the new planes a “gamechanger.” He said they “will allow Ryanair to lower our costs and airfares, while improving our customer experience with more leg room and the Boeing Sky Interior, as we roll out new offers, particularly for our Business Plus and Family Extra customers,” according to The Irish Independent. The current average legroom on Ryanair planes is 30 inches.

When the 737 Maxes were announced in July of this year, Boeing’s CEO Raymond L. Conner said that they would reduce airline operating costs by five percent, a savings that Ryanair hopes to pass on to its customers. “My hope is that it will hasten an era of a new price war in Europe, which, like all the old price wars, Ryanair will win,” O’Leary said. Let’s hope our knees do too.

March 26, 2024, (c) Leeham News: For more than a quarter of a century, Boeing’s Board of Directors focused on stock price and shareholder value as the top priority for the company’s performance.

Jim McNerney was CEO from 2005-2015. The stock price peaked at about $149 during his tenure, never reaching the $200 per share goal allegedly set by the Board.

Dennis Muilenburg followed McNerney. The stock price peaked at about $422 under his leadership. Even after the second 737 MAX accident on March 10, 2019, and its global grounding three days later, the stock price remained about $320. Muilenburg was fired in December 2019 and David Calhoun assumed office the next month. Three months later, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted. Boeing’s stock price plummeted, along with the rest of the stock market for the next two years.

By Nov. 2, 2022, market recovery–and Boeing’s–was such that the company held its first analyst-investors day since 2018. During the event, Calhoun announced that Boeing would not “introduce” a new airplane until the middle of the next decade (ie, around 2035). Analysts loved it–stock shot up in the following week.

But Calhoun failed to right Boeing’s ship. Production, delivery delays, big write-offs, losses at the commercial and defense units, and finally safety concerns at commercial dominated his tenure to date.

On March 25, Boeing announced Calhoun will retire by the end of 2024. Chairman Larry Kellner will not stand for reelection to the Board. The CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal, retired effective immediately. Investors initially boosted Boeing’s stock price on the news, before falling back to the pre-announcement level.

How did Calhoun do during his tenure to date? Below are two charts: one reviews the stock price; the other reviews the write-offs and charges.