As Irina Strembitsky and her mom planned a winter getaway last fall, they never imagined they'd become victims of a vacation rental scam. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened, and Strembitsky says it ruined their much-anticipated trip.
20.04.2024 - 19:09 / forbes.com / Airlines
U.S. airlines had been looking forward to a strong summer. Holding them back: safety issues at Boeing and supply chain challenges at Airbus that are delaying deliveries of new planes.
Under intense federal and public pressure to improve the quality of its planes, Boeing’s production of 737 Max jets has slowed to a trickle. In March the company said it delivered 24 of its bestselling plane to customers, down 53% from the same month a year ago. In the first two weeks of April, it delivered just three, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Boeing’s woes, combined with supply chain issues at rival Airbus and engine durability issues that have grounded planes for inspections, have led airlines to reduce flights for the upcoming summer travel season and slow pilot hiring. That could mean higher fares in some markets and increased risk of disruption as airlines rely more on older planes, which are more prone to mechanical failures, analysts say.
“The bookings are being made now, the demand for air travel is coming and the airlines have to figure out how they do more with less,” Helene Becker, an airline analyst with TD Cowen, told Forbes.
Boeing has been struggling to fulfill airlines’ orders for years after two deadly 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 brought its assembly lines to a standstill. Then, as the company restarted production in May 2020, the Covid pandemic eviscerated demand. The company expected 2024 to be the year when it would finally get its 737 factory in Renton, Washington running smoothly again, starting with a goal of 38 planes a month and working up to 47. Those plans have gone up in smoke after a panel popped off a relatively new Alaska Airlines Max jet in flight in January. Now Boeing is facing multiple investigations, with the Federal Aviation Administration capping its output at 38 planes a month and stationing more inspectors at the factory. The company has said it’s slowing the line purposefully as it seeks to improve manufacturing quality.
U.S. passenger airlines should receive 301 new planes this year, down 40% from the number they had expected as of the beginning of 2023, according to estimates by Martha Neubauer, a senior associate at AeroDynamic Advisory. While Boeing is in the spotlight, rival Airbus accounts for 38% of the missed deliveries this year to airlines worldwide, according to Neubauer. It’s struggled with supply chain issues, particularly with engines, as it’s tried to raise production rates to meet strong demand.
Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon wrote in an email that the planemaker has told customers “the supply chain continued to be the limiting factor and pacing element in our near to mid term deliveries.” Airbus plans to deliver 800 jets this year.
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As Irina Strembitsky and her mom planned a winter getaway last fall, they never imagined they'd become victims of a vacation rental scam. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened, and Strembitsky says it ruined their much-anticipated trip.
Hawaiian Airlines is known for many things like its stellar on-time reputation, serving hot meals on longer flights in economy class and for its famously Hawaiian approach to onboard service. This year, however, the airline is getting recognition for other milestones, namely a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet and a proposed combination with Alaska Airlines, all under the leadership of longtime airline executive and CEO Peter Ingram.
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The ongoing Boeing 737 Max 9 fallout is continuing to burn airlines.