Airbus & Boeing Must Do More, Says Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has said that Airbus and Boeing must do more to mitigate the impact on their customers following persistent delays in delivering next-generation aircraft.

These aircraft types, whether wide or narrowbodies are meant for customers to help enter the next era. However, thanks to supply chain issues, airlines have been unable to take their new aircraft when they intended to.

As a result, carriers have been left scrambling to cover for lost capacity, retaining older, less efficient aircraft. On more occasions than one, these aircraft were also meant to be retired but were retained instead.

Following the retention of older jets, customers, including Lufthansa, have publicly voiced their frustrations, detailing how the delays cost them significant amounts of money every passing day.

Airbus & Boeing Need To Push Suppliers

Qatar Airways, a key customer of Airbus and Boeing, has called on the leading manufacturers to put greater pressure on suppliers. Supply chains have generally been labelled as one of the key reasons why aircraft manufacturers have struggled to get aircraft out on time.

Executives at Qatar Airways believe that, to a certain extent, Airbus and Boeing have let their suppliers get off the hook far too often. As a result of this leniency, the manufacturer’s airline customers are left bleeding with no end to the ongoing problems.

Airlines such as Qatar Airways have seen air travel demand rebound substantially following the low rates during the global pandemic. However, the airline can’t reach pre-pandemic capacity rates due to its inability to acquire aircraft on time.

Interestingly, while Qatar Airways is persistently attempting to offer solutions to Airbus and Boeing, little improvement seems to have occurred.

Qatar Airways Isn’t Alone

Ultimately, Qatar Airways is one of the only airlines that state that Airbus and Boeing should put more pressure on suppliers; they aren’t the only airlines facing impacts.

Lufthansa has been forced to retain older, less efficient widebodies as it battles ongoing delays with next-generation aircraft. The airline had plans to retire aircraft such as the 747, A340, and A380. However, when 777X, 787, and A350 deliveries were delayed, the airline was forced to adjust its forecast.

Meanwhile, Emirates is implementing a major multi-billion dollar retrofit programme for existing aircraft. As part of this retrofit programme, the airline is upgrading the interiors of its existing aircraft types to align better with inbound next-generation jets.

These measures are just some of the many undertaken by airlines worldwide to mitigate losses from delayed Airbus and Boeing aircraft deliveries.