The aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been plagued by bad news for years. But its biggest competitor would not benefit from it, says an Airbus boss.
The problems at US aircraft manufacturer Boeing could, in the view of competitor Airbus, put pressure on the entire industry. “Boeing's problems could cause more people to question how safe flying actually is,” said Christian Scherer, an Airbus boss, to “Wirtschaftswoche”. This would “cast a shadow over the entire industry.”
According to Scherer, it is now more difficult to get new aircraft approved. “There is greater pressure from all observers, including the regulatory authorities.” Scherer contradicted the assumption that Airbus is profiting from the difficulties of its biggest competitor. The prices for aircraft are rising because demand is greater than supply.
In an incident at the beginning of the year, a nearly new Boeing 737-9 Max belonging to Alaska Airlines lost a fuselage fragment during a climb. Since the incident, Boeing has been under increased pressure to improve quality controls. 346 people were killed in the crashes of two 737-Max aircraft in October 2018 and March 2019. According to investigations, one of the causes of the accidents was the aircraft's software.
