Boeing, Airbus Brace for Slowdown as Jet-Buying Binge Nears End
- Lower fuel costs leave little need to replace old aircraft
- Planemakers probably will show orders fell short of deliveries
Employees work on a Boeing 737 MAX airplane at the Boeing manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington.
Photographer: David Ryder/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The unprecedented jetliner shopping spree that’s spanned more than a decade is drawing to a close.
That’s bad news for Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE, which face slowing jet sales and the highest level of airplane-delivery deferrals in at least 15 years. Final 2016 tallies to be unveiled over the next few days will probably show aircraft orders trailing shipments, a sign of a weakening market. Airline profits are poised to fall from last year’s peak, with even Persian Gulf juggernauts Emirates and Etihad Airways PJSC tempering growth.