Boeing issues upbeat jet finance outlook amid market turbulence

Boeing predicted a surge in worldwide aircraft financing towards pre-pandemic levels this year, highlighting a rebound in demand for air travel just as aviation was swept up in a stock market rout over banking sector woes on Wednesday. The availability of finance for the 1,000 or more new jetliners rolling off production lines each year is a key barometer for the $100-billion-plus a year jet industry, dominated by Boeing and its European rival Airbus. But publication of Boeing's widely watched annual forecasts coincided with the loss of billions of dollars of value in planemakers, airlines and travel firms as concerns over Credit Suisse washed through global markets. Any new financial crisis could affect business and consumer confidence and cut demand for premium travel as bankers and other high-value customers rein in spending, putting pressure on airline profitability and jet demand, executives said.<br/>