Airbus not worried about jet order cancellations this year

The aircraft manufacturer says 2017 will not be marred by major delivery problems, easing concerns that the aerospace industry was heading for a rough year ahead.

An Airbus A380 during a flight demonstration at the Farnborough International Airshow in Britain, last year. The European plane maker says it sees little chance of major aircraft order cancellations this year. Hannah McKay / EPA

Order cancellations are not a major risk factor for the aerospace industry this year, a senior Airbus executive said on Thursday, dampening concerns about a downturn in the aerospace industry’s cycle amid fragile global economies.

“The risk of order cancellations is not very high on our list of risks for this year,” Marwan Lahoud, executive vice-president of international, strategy and public affairs, told a briefing as head of France’s Gifas aerospace industry lobby.

On the challenges of increasing aerospace production to keep up with past strong orders, the head of French aerospace supplier Daher, Patrick Daher, said most companies had absorbed the investments needed to meet their production targets.

“The obstacles should diminish in 2017 compared to 2016,” he told the same briefing, referring to the risk of delays and quality problems that disrupted some deliveries last year.

Mr Lahoud declined to comment on Airbus deliveries.

* Reuters

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