Pressure of Truth
Exposing the spin on all sides of the news.
Outlet profile

Leeham News and Analysis

U.S. aviation industry trade — commercial aerospace focus, no partisan alignment

Owned byAIN Media Group Inc. (Aviation International News), a family-owned aviation media company based in Midland Park, NJ, founded by Wilson Leach. AIN completed the acquisition of Leeham Company LLC in July 2025.
FundingPrimarily subscription-based (individual subscriptions ~$652/year; corporate ~$1,632/year); also supported by AIN Media Group's broader advertising and events revenue.
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Scott Hamilton founded Leeham Co. in 1999 after he and his partner sold Linkraven Ltd., which they had co-founded in 1989 and which published the Commercial Aviation Report and organized international aviation conferences. Leeham Co. launched its first blog and news publication in 2008, growing into a subscription-based outlet focused on deep-dive commercial aerospace analysis, particularly around the Boeing-Airbus competition, aircraft orders, aircraft programs, and aviation safety. Hamilton, who spent more than three decades covering aviation, was named Best Aerospace Journalist of the Year in 2009 in the Regional Airline category; aeronautical engineer Bjorn Fehrm served as the outlet's key technical analyst. Leeham built a reputation for detailed financial and technical assessments that industry professionals and analysts used as a primary reference, distinguishing it from more general aviation news outlets. In June 2025, at the Paris Air Show, AIN Media Group announced it would acquire Leeham Company LLC; the deal closed in July 2025. Readers have perceived Leeham's editorial stance differently over the years — some finding it subtly pro-Boeing, others pro-Airbus — but comparative assessments generally rate it among the more analytically balanced aviation trade outlets. Since the Trump administration's second term began in 2025, Leeham has published critical reporting on FAA staffing reductions driven by DOGE policies, certification backlogs, and the agency's technology lag, reflecting concern about regulatory capacity rather than any partisan alignment.

Sources

  1. AIN Media Group Agrees to Acquire Leeham News & Analysis — Leeham News and Analysis
  2. AIN Completes Acquisition of Leeham News and Analysis — Aviation International News
  3. AIN Media Agrees to Acquire Leeham News & Analysis — A Media Operator
  4. Celebrating 20 years for Leeham Co. — Leeham News and Analysis
  5. The FAA: Tombstone Agency or Hampered by Tombstone Politics? — Leeham News and Analysis
  6. As aerospace companies pursue AI, FAA lags — Leeham News and Analysis
  7. Leeham Co. About — Leeham Company

Profile compiled 2026-09-01; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

← Back to track record