Boeing's Ills Can Harm Entire Industry, Airbus Warns

BERLIN, June 1 (Bernama-dpa) -- Technical problems currently dogging the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing threaten to burden the entire aviation industry, according to its main rival Airbus, reported dpa news quoting a local media report.

"Boeing's problems could cause more people to question how safe aviation actually is," Christian Scherer, head of civil aircraft manufacturing at the European company, said in an interview with German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche published on Saturday.

This casts "a shadow over the entire industry," he added.

According to Scherer, it is now more difficult to certify new aircraft. "There is greater pressure from all observers, including regulatory authorities."

Scherer rejected the assumption that Airbus was benefiting from the difficulties faced by its biggest competitor. He said that prices for aircraft were rising because the demand is greater than supply.

In an incident earlier this year, an almost new Boeing 737-9 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines lost a door plug during ascent, leading to a gaping hole in the fuselage. Since the incident, Boeing has been under increased pressure to improve quality controls.

In crashes of two 737 MAX aircraft in October 2018 and March 2019, 346 people lost their lives. Investigations found that one cause of the accidents was the aircraft's software.

--BERNAMA-dpa