These new planes are blurring the lines in the traditional sizes of wide-body planes,
and some airlines are holding back on orders to get the latest technology on the new 777.
To some extent, “it’s a day of reckoning, prompted by the troubles at these three carriers,”
said Richard L. Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax, Va.
Mr. Aboulafia and others say the slowdown also reflects a more fundamental shift in the types of planes that most airlines want.
After Surge in Orders, Airlines Now Balk at Wide-Bodies -
By CHRISTOPHER DREWJUNE 18, 2017
At the International Paris Air Show this week, much of the excitement at the aerial displays
will come from the latest souped-up versions of the smaller Airbus and Boeing planes.
“You’re going to see a bunch of wide-bodies start to hit 25 years of service, and I think
that will help spur production when we get into the next decade.”
Despite the problems now, Boeing and Airbus remain firmly in control of the market for commercial planes across the world.
Passenger traffic continues to increase as more people in developing countries move into the middle class,
and Boeing plans to release a study at the air show predicting demand for 9,000 new wide-bodies over the next 20 years.
