Latest news with #StephaniePope
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Boeing keeps low profile at Paris Air Show as Airbus hits $27 billion orders
An Airbus A350-1000 passenger aircraft performs during an exhibition flight demonstration as the Paris Air Show on June 18. PHOTO: AFP PARIS – Every other year, thousands of visitors flock to a Paris suburb for the Paris Air Show, one of the aerospace industry's biggest events. The atmosphere is typically celebratory, but the recent deadly crash of an Air India flight cast a shadow over the show this week. The contrasting moods were apparent in the rivalry between two of the show's most prominent aircraft manufacturers: Airbus and Boeing. Airbus said it had withheld some announcements, but still secured US$21 billion (S$27 billion) of orders for new commercial jets, while rival Boeing opted not to announce new sales following last week's Air India 787 crash. The cause of the crash, in which at least 270 people died in the plane and on the ground, has yet to be determined. But it happened at a delicate moment for Boeing, which had appeared to be moving past a series of setbacks in recent years. The company reported nearly 350 orders in May, some of which were part of a trade deal between the United States and Britain. That made May Boeing's best month for sales in a year and a half. Boeing also reached a crucial production target in May for its most popular plane, the 737 Max. Boeing's chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, and the head of its commercial plane unit, Stephanie Pope, were scheduled to attend the air show, but cancelled their plans after the Air India crash. The sober atmosphere for Boeing was a contrast to Airbus, which boasted major orders for its most popular jets, including 40 A220 single-aisle jets for LOT Polish Airlines and a deal with VietJet for up to 150 single-aisle jets. Airbus also scored big wins in Saudi Arabia, which wants to become an international air travel hub: Riyadh Air ordered 25 A350 wide-body aircraft, while AviLease, a Saudi jet leasing company, ordered 40 commercial and cargo jets. Still, Airbus said it had chosen to hold back some announcements. 'The cold shower we all had was the Air India accident, so we've actually scaled back,' said Christian Scherer, the CEO of Airbus' commercial aircraft business. He added that although aerospace was extremely competitive, Airbus never used safety to its advantage: 'You don't go there.' Boeing has been in catch-up mode the past few years as its rival has pulled ahead in orders. Even if it does see any slowdown in business because of the crash, it will probably be temporary if the investigation clears the plane itself, said Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm. 'If there's any pullback from orders in the aftermath of this tragedy, it's purely for optics,' he said. Airlines remain confident in Boeing's planes and have only one major alternative in Airbus. It could take months to determine the cause of the crash. The plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, both of which have been recovered, should yield a wealth of information, experts said. It was the first fatal crash involving a Dreamliner, a popular choice for long-distance routes because of its range, fuel efficiency and other factors. More than 1,100 are in service today, according to Cirium, an aviation data firm. India's aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said on June 17 that a review of Air India's remaining Dreamliner planes 'did not reveal any major safety concerns.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
Passengers 'should be confident' about safety of Boeing planes
A senior Boeing executive has reassured passengers about the safety and quality of the plane maker's aircraft, but declined to comment directly on the Air India crash as the investigation continues. Darren Hulst, Boeing's vice president of marketing, was speaking during a press briefing at the Paris Air Show. 'With regards to the Air India tragedy, our hearts, our thoughts and our prayers are with all the families that have been impacted by this, as well as our partner and long-term customer Air India,' he said. Mr Hulst insisted customers and passengers 'should be confident' about the safety of Boeing aircraft. 'Longer term, we all know how important safety and quality are to our business,' he added. Boeing has scaled back its presence at the biennial show in Le Bourget on the outskirts of the French capital following the crash involving one of its 787 wide-body jets operated by Air India last week. Chief executive Kelly Ortberg and head of commercial planes unit Stephanie Pope both withdrew from the event and the US manufacturer has yet to announce any new orders at the expo. The Air India crash is the another setback for Boeing, which had been in the process of rebuilding trust after a series of safety and production quality lapses. Asked whether the accident has dented customer confidence and if it could affect demand for the 787 Dreamliner, Mr Hulst suggested it is too early in the investigation to come to any conclusions. 'Demonstrating and proving that credibility over time is not just something that we do overnight,' he said. Re-establishing that credibility is part of a long-term commitment to re-instil safety and quality values throughout the business while continuing to communicate with customers, Mr Hulst explained. 'We will continue to support our customers,,' he added. 'We're there on the ground today with our partners at Air India to support them and that is not going to change. 'In the longer term, those values continue to drive how we build, how we design and how we support our fleets. I have full confidence in that continuing.' Mr Hulst was speaking as Boeing released its 20-year commercial market forecast, which shows that there is global demand for 43,600 new passenger and freighter jets by 2044. Meanwhile, India's aviation safety regulator said on Tuesday that it found no major safety issues with Air India's fleet of Boeing 787 jets during its inspections, following the crash last week that killed all but one of the 242 people on board flight AI 171. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation completed one-time checks on 24 of the 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by the carrier, Bloomberg reported, citing a statement from the regulator. Air India is operating 27 of the jets, though six are currently grounded for maintenance, the DGCA said. While Boeing's presence at the Paris Air Show was muted, European rival Airbus on Tuesday announced a deal with budget airline VietJet for up to 150 single-aisle aircraft. The Vietnamese airline has ordered 100 of the A321 Neo aircraft, with the potential to add another 50 in the future, Airbus said.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Air India Crash: Boeing Top Official Meets Tata Sons Chairman
Mumbai: US aircraft major Boeing's Head of Commercial Airplanes Stephanie Pope met Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran during a visit to the Air India headquarters in Gurugram on Monday, a source said. While specific details of the meeting were not known, the discussions were centred around the crash of Air India's London-bound flight AI171 -- Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner -- in Ahmedabad last week, the source said. Over 270 people were killed in the June 12 crash. The flight carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into a medical college complex less than a minute after takeoff. The aircraft took off at 1:39 pm and started sinking seconds later after reaching a height of about 650 feet. At 1:39 pm, the pilot sent a May Day call to the Ahmedabad ATC. When contacted, Boeing declined to comment on the meeting between Pope and Chandrasekaran. "We are not going to comment on that. As we have said, our thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected by Air India Flight 171. We are focused on supporting the investigation and our customer," a Boeing spokesperson said. Air India spokesperson could not be reached for comment. Chandrasekaran visited the Air India headquarters and training academy on Monday and addressed some 700 employees and the leadership team in the wake of the June 12 crash. "I have seen a reasonable number of crises in my career, but this is the most heartbreaking one which I never thought I would see," the sources quoted Chandrasekaran as saying. He also urged the employees to show resilience and use this incident as an act of force to build a "safer airline".
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Top Boeing executive Stephanie Pope visits Air India HQ to discuss plane crash, sources say
Indians holding a candlelight vigil on June 14 in Bangalore, India, for the victims who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash. PHOTO: EPA-EFE NEW DELHI - The head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stephanie Pope, met the chairman of Air India on June 16 in India, two sources said, as the companies seek to find the cause of last week's fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Ms Pope met Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran at the airline's headquarters in Gurugram, near New Delhi airport, and was accompanied by Boeing's India President Salil Gupte, one of the sources said. Details of the discussions were not immediately clear. They came four days after a London-bound Air India plane crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad seconds after take-off, killing all but one of the 242 people on board. Ms Pope oversees design, production and delivery of advanced jetliners to Boeing customers around the world, according to the US plane maker's website. The Dreamliner was fitted with GE engines and GE Aerospace's CEO for Commercial Engines and Services, Russell Stokes, and its South Asia chief, Vikram Rai, also met Chandrasekaran on June 16, one of the sources said. Boeing, in a statement to Reuters, declined to comment on Ms Pope's visit and meeting with Air India but said it is 'focused on supporting the investigation' and its customer. GE and Air India did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The sources declined to be named as the meetings were private. The crash, the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade, is the latest test for Boeing's new leadership that has been working to reform the company's public image and regain trust following a series of safety and production crises. Air India, which has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet, is one of Boeing's biggest customers with more than 200 new planes on order including 20 787s. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Top Boeing exec Stephanie Pope said to have visited Air India HQ to discuss plane crash
The head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stephanie Pope , met the chairman of Air India on Monday in India, two sources said, as the companies seek to find the cause of last week's fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Pope met Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran at the airline's headquarters in Gurugram, near New Delhi airport, and was accompanied by Boeing's India President Salil Gupte, one of the sources said. Details of the discussions were not immediately clear. They came four days after a London-bound Air India plane crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad seconds after take-off, killing all but one of the 242 people on board. Pope oversees design, production and delivery of advanced jetliners to Boeing customers around the world, according to the U.S. plane maker's website. The Dreamliner was fitted with GE engines and GE Aerospace's CEO for Commercial Engines and Services, Russell Stokes, and its South Asia chief, Vikram Rai, also met Chandrasekaran on Monday, one of the sources said. Live Events Boeing, in a statement to Reuters, declined to comment on Pope's visit and meeting with Air India but said it is "focused on supporting the investigation" and its customer. GE and Air India did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The sources declined to be named as the meetings were private. The crash, the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade, is the latest test for Boeing's new leadership that has been working to reform the company's public image and regain trust following a series of safety and production crises. Air India, which has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet, is one of Boeing's biggest customers with more than 200 new planes on order including 20 787s. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
