Team - Leeham News and Analysis

Leeham News and Analysis operates as one of the most technically credentialed independent aviation journalism and consulting outlets in the commercial aviation space, distinguished by a masthead that combines former military aviators, licensed aeronautical engineers, and journalists with decades of beat reporting across virtually every segment of the industry. Founded by Scott Hamilton, who co-established the internationally recognized Commercial Aviation Report through Linkraven Ltd. in 1989, LNA has built its editorial identity around breaking news that wire services and mainstream aviation trade publications routinely follow rather than lead. Hamilton's own track record — recognized as Best Aerospace Journalist of the Year in the Regional Airline Category in 2009 and a former board member of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance — anchors the outlet's credibility in the commercial aviation analyst community, particularly with respect to OEM strategy, fleet economics, and airline competitive dynamics.

The technical depth that differentiates LNA from conventional aviation trade media is embodied most directly in the work of Bjorn Fehrm, whose background as a Swedish Air Force fighter pilot and aeronautical engineer on the Viggen and Gripen programs provides an unusually rigorous analytical foundation for commercial aircraft evaluation. Fehrm is the developer of Leeham's proprietary Aircraft Model, a tool capable of generating complete performance profiles from raw aerodynamic data through to per-flight operating costs — the kind of modeling capability typically available only to OEM engineering teams, large lessors, or airline fleet-planning departments with dedicated resources. His selection as one of four aviation journalists afforded flight evaluations of the Airbus A350-900, and one of three to fly the A220-300, reflects the access his technical credentials command and positions his pilot reports as authoritative rather than impressionistic.

The broader editorial roster reinforces LNA's coverage across both the European supply chain and the network and revenue management dimensions of the airline business. Tom Batchelor's focus on European suppliers and Airbus complements Fehrm's engineering-level aircraft analysis, while Judson Rollins brings practitioner-level expertise in fleet planning, scheduling, and revenue management from direct engagement with more than 20 airlines across four continents. Chris Sloan's interim supply chain coverage adds a layer of sourcing depth, given his experience with flagship publications including Aviation Week, Air Transport World, and Flight Global, alongside direct access to inaugural and final operations of marquee aircraft types. Kathryn Creedy's roots in the post-deregulation regional airline industry, including her founding of Commuter/Regional Airline News in 1982, extend LNA's analytical reach into workforce, maintenance, and regional carrier economics.

For professional pilots and aviation operators — particularly those operating under Part 91K, Part 135, or airline certificate holders evaluating fleet decisions, labor market conditions, or OEM reliability trends — LNA's institutional posture as an impartial "Red Team" free from manufacturer marketing influence carries significant practical value. The outlet's Aircraft Model-driven analysis of type economics, its supply chain coverage, and its workforce reporting directly inform the operational and procurement decisions faced by flight departments and airline management teams. At a moment when the industry is navigating Boeing production recovery timelines, Airbus backlog constraints, pilot supply disruptions, and the early commercial positioning of hybrid-electric and blended wing body designs, LNA's combination of engineering rigor and journalistic independence positions it as a primary-source reference rather than a secondary aggregator. Its content pipeline through early 2026 — spanning Boeing 737-10 program status, Heart Aerospace ES-30 evolution, and BWB efficiency comparisons — reflects sustained engagement with the exact technology and operational inflection points shaping near-term fleet and route strategy.