Airlines need new planes, but the supply chain has other ideas

Airlines are desperate to get more planes to meet insatiable and growing travel demand, but the two major plane manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, are struggling to keep up. After retrenching at the start of the pandemic in 2020, airlines bounced back quickly and started placing large orders for new planes as they sought to upgrade and expand their fleets. But supply chain problems have hampered production, leading carriers to warn investors this month that plane deliveries might be delayed. American Airlines cut a forecast for how many Boeing 737 Max planes it would get next year based on discussions with the manufacturer, while JetBlue Airways said it was preparing to receive fewer planes than expected from Airbus in 2023. United Airlines, which has big orders with both manufacturers, said that its deliveries next year could slide, too. “Nearly every industry is navigating broad supply chain, inflation, labor and macroeconomic challenges — and we’re certainly no different,” Boeing’s chief executive, Dave Calhoun, said in a note to employees on Wednesday in which he discussed the company’s quarterly financial performance. “We’re realistic about the environment we face and are taking comprehensive action.” Calhoun said Boeing employees were spending more time on site with suppliers to understand their challenges. The company has also expanded its digital inventory tools, assembled a team of experts to address supply chain problems and taken other actions. But Boeing, a leading American manufacturer, expects the problems to continue through next year. The company’s financial results for the three months that ended in September were mixed, with big losses from its defense business offset by better-than-expected cash flow and solid demand for its passenger planes.<br/>