Leading global aerospace organization Boeing is grappling with a shortage of spare parts, semiconductors, and engines. The monthly hiccups and disruptions keep changing and look far from resolving, according to the US plane maker’s executives.
Stan Deal, head of Boeing’s commercial airplane division, told reporters in London that the company is in the midst of the journey ahead of Farnborough International Airshow. Boeing had to contend with skilled mechanics shortfall and logistics snarls after the Covid-19 fallout.
Safran SA of France and General Electric joint venture CFM International Inc., makers of engines, have delayed delivery of turbofans to Boeing. However, a standing rule in Boeing has forced Boing to cope with the strain. Deal says that Boeing will not make gliders, a term used in the aerospace industry for engineless planes.
Aggressive Rivals
This decision is in contrast to rival planemaker Airbus SE which has 20 A320neo gliders parked in factories worldwide in May. The European Planemaker is pushing with plans to ramp up production of narrow-bodied aircraft to 65 jets monthly by the middle of 2023. Boeing is, however, approaching cautiously with its 737 Max under the US regulator’s watchful eyes.
The Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing Co. keeps a steady monthly output of 31 jets. This number works fine as it matches the supplies. Parts and components, including the LEAP turbofan engines for 737 Max, arrive in fits and starts. According to Deal, Boeing underestimated the toll on its workforce and suppliers from pandemic layoffs.
According to Bloomberg News, the planemaker plans to speed up its 787 Dreamliner production. This will be after the Federal Aviation Administration approves the resumption of its widebody aircraft deliveries. The looming milestone has made Boeing push its supplier to step up hiring.
Briefing Highlights from Boeing:
Boeing is not rushing to compete with Airbus’s success in its A321neo planes. Though a team of engineers is working on a new jet model, Boeing is not in a rush. Deal says they will make a new airplane when it is time.
Boeing is looking to the FAA to certify its 737 Max 10. It wants Congress to extend the deadline to allow the introduction of the jet to the market without the costly redesigned cockpit.
Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing, warned it might scrap the Max 10 program if it is forced to add the new crew-alerting technology. Deal said they had committed to their customer to get the plane certified. Adding new technology was not a high probability path for the planemaker.
