Latest news with #BoeingAirbus
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Emirates chief slams Boeing, Airbus over delivery delays
The head of the world's largest international airline, Dubai's Emirates, voiced frustration on Sunday over chronic aerospace supply problems, challenging planemakers to take responsibility for late suppliers. Leading plane manufacturers Boeing BA.N and Airbus are months and years behind on new plane deliveries, frustrating airlines which want to upgrade to more fuel-efficient aircraft and launch new services. "I am pretty tired of seeing the hand-wringing about the supply chain: you (manufacturers) are the supply chain," Emirates President Tim Clark said at a news briefing on the sidelines of an airline industry summit.
CNA
22-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Lessor SMBC says Boeing and Airbus output has made some progress
DUBLIN :Boeing and Airbus have made progress in boosting aircraft manufacturing, but there is "a way to go" to get a stable, predictable production cycle, the head of aircraft leasing giant SMBC Aviation Capital said on Thursday. The world's third-largest aircraft lessor, which has over 250 planes on order with both manufacturers, also said tariffs could be a drag on that recovery and have the potential to delay production increases. Boeing has faced a series of crises but expects to stabilise 737 MAX production over the coming weeks, while Airbus has reaffirmed its target for increased commercial deliveries this year despite a recent dip. "I was actually there (at Boeing) a few weeks ago. I certainly felt that the corner was turned and I don't say that lightly. There's more to go but I do think they are absolutely travelling in the right direction," Peter Barrett told Reuters, adding that Airbus has also made progress. As U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war and "America First" policies disrupt international relations, Barrett said there was "some caution" on transatlantic routes, but that SMBC's customers have said domestic U.S. demand was resilient. SMBC on Thursday said it had booked a further $654 million from insurance settlements over the last year related to jets stranded in Russia following Western sanctions, bringing its total recoveries from claims to $1.41 billion. SMBC recorded an impairment of $1.6 billion in 2022 after 34 of its jets got stuck in Russia following the sanctions over Moscow's war in Ukraine that forced the termination of leases. SMBC was one of six lessors that ended an Irish lawsuit against their insurers last month and Barrett said the majority of its litigation around the world was complete. Pretax profits at SMBC, owned by a consortium including Japan's Sumitomo Corp and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, grew 22 per cent year-on-year to $563 million in the year to end-March, excluding the settlements, it said.
CNA
09-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Singapore's aviation sector takes off to meet demand, but labour shortage could stall growth
MORE FACILITIES Bellwethers like ST Engineering are looking to do more to meet the demand, such as building additional airframe maintenance hangers in Singapore and abroad. "We plan to open a new engine shop later this year so that we have more capacity for engine overhaul," said Mr Jeffrey Lam, president of commercial aerospace at ST Engineering. The facility will provide MRO services for the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines that power narrow-body aircraft, including the new generation Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. It is expected to provide 200 engine shop visit capacity annually. The company said these additions will boost its man-hours in Singapore by a third next year – to over 4 million annually. "We're hiring more people – in Singapore in particular – so that we can grow the amount of services that we can offer to our global customers," Mr Lam said. The firm wants to add up to 500 staff to its headcount in the next one to two years, with engineer and technician roles certified in avionics and landing gear among the skill demands, added Mr Lam. STRONG AVIATION SECTOR Singapore contributes about 10 per cent of current global MRO output, making it a leading hub in Asia. Industry players believe the nation is well-positioned to leverage the growth. 'For a small country like Singapore, 10 per cent of global market share is very significant,' said Mr Sia, pointing out the aviation sector has recovered well since the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2022 and 2024, Singapore bagged over S$750 million in investment commitments from aerospace companies. Last year, Changi Airport handled almost 68 million passengers, which is 99 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its low-cost arm Scoot flew 39 million passengers the same year, 12.7 per cent more than in 2023. 'Singapore has historically been able to attract very high-quality aviation and MRO players to base their facilities here,' said Mr Joshua Ng, director of Alton Aviation Consultancy. 'We think that Singapore is one of the few countries that are poised to tap on this growing demand in the MRO sector.' MANPOWER SHORTAGE However, industry players said ongoing manpower constraints could ground growth. 'MRO capacity is quite limited, and at the same time, the supply chain is highly constrained and talent is in short supply,' said Mr Sia. 'Fortunately, during the pandemic, we were able to maintain a good proportion of our workforce, which allowed us to ramp up to capture the surge in demand.' He added that challenges remain in ensuring that enough people can access opportunities in aerospace, as well as in upskilling and cross-skilling the existing workforce. Currently, efforts to build a talent pipeline include partnerships with educational institutes and career fairs. ROLE OF AI IN MRO Market watchers said artificial intelligence could help to address the staffing shortages by helping mechanics and engineers with routine and tedious work. AI is driving transformation in the sector, allowing jobs to evolve to provide higher value products and services. 'In the past, repairs will only be done when defects are found. (AI will make the process) more proactive and more service oriented… leveraging data to predict whether maintenance (should) happen,' said Mr Ng. AI makes it possible to predict failures before they occur, by monitoring performance data and identifying patterns of degradation, to avoid situations where planes cannot fly due to faulty parts, he added. 'The role of the human now will be more in terms of sense-making, interpreting the data… doing final quality checks, repairs and sign-offs to make sure that everything is in order for the aircraft to fly,' he explained.
