Boeing 737 Max aircraft are parked in a parking lot at Boeing Field in this aerial photo taken over Seattle, Washington, US, June 11, 2020. — Reuters pic
While fleets are still expected to almost double, it is the first time Boeing has cut the 20-year demand forecast in terms of the number of deliveries since the 2009 financial crisis. “The industry clearly has been dramatically impacted ... by the pandemic,” Commercial Marketing Vice-President Darren Hulst said.
“It will take longer from this crisis but ... the industry will prove resilient again; the fundamentals aren’t changing,” Hulst said. Boeing cut its 20-year forecast for twin-aisles like its 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 by 10.3 per cent. At 7,480 jets, down from 8,340 a year ago, that part of the 20-year forecast is now below 8,000 units for the first time since 2010.
Boeing now sees 32,270 deliveries in this medium-haul category, traditionally the cash cow of large planemakers. That includes 13,570 deliveries between now and 2029.