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Boeing has come under fire from regulators, lawmakers and some
airline bosses after the Jan. 5 incident on an Alaska Air flight
sparked broader concerns over its manufacturing practices.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General
Willie Walsh said that while some in the industry were angry
after the blow-out, Calhoun and his leadership team had done
well to take responsibility and commit to finding solutions.
"Boeing are taking the right measures. I think they've responded
much, much better to this than other events," Walsh told Reuters
on the sidelines of an industry summit in Singapore.
"I've heard people say you need a change in leadership. I
disagree ... I'm confident that he (Calhoun) will fix it."
Walsh said he didn't expect Boeing's safety problems to result
in airlines ordering fewer of the manufacturer's planes or
prompt passengers to avoid booking tickets with airlines that
use the 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
Walsh was speaking a day before the start of the Singapore
Airshow, Asia's largest aviation event, where there is a buzz
around the first trip outside Chinese territory for China's
homegrown passenger jet, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of
China's (COMAC) narrow-body C919.
The C919, which is only certified in China where four are in
operation, staged a fly-by in Singapore on Sunday.
Walsh said he expected the C919 would mostly be used for the
large Chinese domestic market and it could take "decades" before
China was able to produce a jet capable of competing with Boeing
and Airbus on the international stage.
"It's impressive and it's going to be interesting to see but I
think it will be a bit of time before they can be seen as
credible competitors," he said.
For months, the global aviation industry has been struggling
with severe supply chain disruptions, as a post-pandemic travel
boom after COVID-era layoffs and shutdowns caused delays to
everything from engines to windscreens.
Walsh said the supply chain situation was "unprecedented" but
slowly improving.
"It's better today than it was this time last year, but it's
still a major problem."
(Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Joe Brock; Editing by Mark
Potter)
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