The Paris Airshow opened today with its usual fanfare of aircraft orders expected to be tempered by last week’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad and escalating war between Israel and Iran. Every two years, Le Bourget Airport in the northeast of Paris is transformed into a showcase for the aerospace and defence industry, its sprawling tarmac lined with fighter jets, commercial airliners and autonomous drones.
In the pristine white chalets along the flight line, aerospace executives, government officials and military delegations gather to strike deals and discuss the geopolitical forces shaping the future of aviation.
Aerospace and defence executives are also grappling with uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's shifting tariff policies, which many say have been impacting aircraft, engines and parts, disrupting global supply chains, driving up production costs and straining international partnerships.
Boeing's CEO Kelly Ortberg and Commercial Airplanes boss Stephanie Pope cancelled their trip to Paris and the U.S. planemaker is scaling back its schedule at the event as it focuses on supporting the India crash probe.
The planemaker is eager to keep a low-key presence and avoid any jarring publicity, though it was too late to remove Boeing advertising banners dominating the venue. Behind Boeing’s chalet at Le Bourget, a gleaming Riyadh Air 787 sits on the tarmac.
Boeing is emerging from back-to-back safety, industrial and corporate crises triggered by fatal accidents involving the smaller 737 MAX, which is a separate model to the newer 787.
Aircraft deals will still be announced at the show, where European politics are also driving some of the discussions.
Source: Reuters
