Major air transport operators sent an unusual message to aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus: the industry prefers to wait rather than incorporate a new generation of commercial aircraft that has not yet demonstrated sufficient technological maturity.
During the Airline Leaders Summit held at the Farnborough Airshow, airline and leasing company executives agreed that the next technological leap should only occur when systems, certification processes, and maintenance programs are fully consolidated.
Operational reliability is the priority
Paul Kent, Chief Commercial Officer of BOC Aviation, stated that he does not consider the introduction of a new narrow-body aircraft around 2030 advisable if the technology still requires years of adjustments during its entry into service.
As he explained, when an aeronautical program is launched without having reached sufficient technical maturity, operators end up assuming long adaptation periods before the aircraft reaches its intended economic efficiency. This situation increases operating, maintenance, and fleet availability costs.
The warnings come at a time when commercial aviation continues to face aircraft delivery delays, global supply chain constraints, and difficulties in increasing the production of critical components.
Boeing maintains focus on certification and production
In response to expectations regarding a future generation of aircraft, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope noted that the company continues to develop new technologies, but its current priority is completing pending certification processes and increasing production levels for existing programs.
A similar position was indirectly supported by Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, who asserted that the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo models will continue to dominate the market during the next decade as long as no truly disruptive technological advancement appears.
For his part, Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways, stated that the company maintains interest in future Airbus developments, although he made it clear that the sector will evaluate any new platform based on the technological benefits it actually provides.
The industry seeks innovation with lower risk
The consensus expressed during Farnborough reflects an evolution in the priorities of the aeronautical sector. While a decade ago the pressure focused on rapidly introducing more efficient aircraft, today the emphasis is on ensuring that new programs reach the market with sufficiently proven technologies and clearly defined maintenance processes.
Experience gained in recent years has shown that certification delays, production difficulties, and problems detected during entry into service can affect both manufacturers and airlines for long periods.
SOURCE: https://www.reuters.com/
Photo: Shutterstock
