CEO Dave Calhoun vocalized his resolutions on Boeing’s new jets’ timeline being extended till 2024 owing to industry-wide supply chain complexities impeding global jetliner production. During the Qatar Economic Forum, Calhoun reiterated the paramount importance of stability for European rival Airbus and Boeing’s future aircraft plans – which hinge on triumphing over the impact of supply chain pressure on Boeing.
“The topmost priority for the two airplane manufacturers is stability. We have to resolve the supply chain issues and the surprises associated with it – once and for all.”
At an event organized in Doha, Calhoun astutely acknowledged that despite initial impressions, the endeavor of rectifying predicaments would not be expeditious, but would rather span the entirety of this year and conceivably extend into 2024.
The Impact Of Supply Chain Pressure On Boeing’s New Jets Timeline
In April, Calhoun had reported some headway in addressing the supply chain obstacles and rehashed his guidance from November, affirming that significant supply chain improvement was unlikely until 2024.
Remarkably, Calhoun’s projection for Boeing’s next-generation planes and Boeing’s supply chain hurdles for 2024, aligned with the sentiments expressed by Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, who opinionated during a press interview that production levels would only scrap pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024 or as late as 2025.
Notwithstanding the overarching disruptions, Calhoun expressed his sentiments on Tuesday that he did not anticipate Boeing’s manufacturing delays and complications with the immensely popular 737 narrow-body jets. He believes that Boeing’s new jets timeline would be deferred from the production challenges.
Estimating the impact of supply chain pressure on Boeing’s future aircraft planes, a regrettable Calhoun conveyed that the aerospace industry was unlikely to witness the introduction of Boeing’s next-generation planes’ designs until the mid-2030s.
He elucidated that the existing constraints in both propulsion and wing design necessitate this prolonged timeline before the unveiling of a new aircraft. Calhoun postulated the possibility of his competitor, without explicitly naming Airbus, making such an announcement.
However, on the same panel discussion was Akbar Al Baker, the CEO of Qatar Airways, who implored aerospace giants such as Boeing, Airbus and Brazil’s Embraer to proactively embark on the pursuit of innovation without further ado.
“It is imperative that they begin contemplating the introduction of novel elements into the industry now.”
Waiting for the competitors to trigger the next wave of advancements would be improvident.
Boeing’s Next Generation Planes Lineup Is Uncertain
Having been long expected to initiate the development of a novel mid-market aircraft in place of the discontinued 757, Boeing’s future aircraft plans were touted to cater to the single-aisle market and larger wide-body jets. Unfortunately, Calhoun terminated the project in early 2020, seeking a fresh perspective.
Engine makers concur that the advent of the next big advancement in fuel efficiency and emissions reduction will warrant a groundbreaking aircraft design – but the catch is that it’s improbable until the latter half of the decade.
