Crisis-hit Boeing remains in race for Riyadh Air's narrow-body order

Boeing's continuing troubles are not affecting the US aircraft manufacturer's chances in the race against its European rival Airbus for a narrow-body aircraft order from Saudi Arabian start-up Riyadh Air, a senior airline executive has said. Riyadh Air, which is considering both Airbus and Boeing models for its long-awaited narrow-bodies order, plans to announce its decision before the end of 2024, Vincent Coste, its chief commercial officer, told The National on the sidelines of the global aerospace summit in Abu Dhabi. "We are looking at the long term, we are not looking at onboarding our narrow-body aircraft next year because we still have to take a decision, announce the order and it takes a few years to manufacture these aircraft," he said. "So these short-term issues that Boeing is going through are not impacting our long-term vision." US plane maker Boeing, which has been struggling with a safety and quality crisis after a door panel blew out mid-air on a 737 Max jet in January, is now also contending with a workers' strike, which could further delay output. The strike has not affected 787 production.<br/>