Cancellations and delays are likely to hit airports across the UK, due to plane manufacturing delays in the wake of the Boeing and Pratt & Whitney safety scandals
A plane shortage not seen since the 9/11 attacks could create huge holiday problems this summer, an aviation expert has warned.
Delays and cancellations at airports across Europe are said to be looming thanks to safety concerns about Boeing-made aircraft, which has left airlines struggling to find enough suitable planes to fly, it has been claimed.
Avia Solutions, the world’s largest aeroplane leasing firm, said airlines will be left with little choice but to cut down their schedules over the next few months as urgent checks take place on newly built aircraft.
In January, passengers were left terrified when the door of an Alaska Airline Boeing 737 Max 8s dramatically blew off mid-flight, prompting a US criminal investigation into the manufacturer over safety concerns. A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 78 people skidded off the runway during take-off in Senegal last week, while the wheel also fell off fully loaded 737 upon landing in Johannesburg in April.
While it has not been confirmed whether manufacturer error was to blame in all of these incidents, they have come at a time of increased scrutiny on Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers. Rival firm Pratt & Whitney recently recalled hundreds of Airbus short-haul planes due to engine issues, Bloomberg reported.
As a result planes are taking longer to produce, with airlines forced to wait while thorough inspections are carried out in the factories. The knock-on effect means the ‘super demand’ from the airlines is outstripping supply, according to Avia.
Gediminas Ziemelis, chairman of Avia, told the Telegraph: “We’re seeing what I would call super-demand. The last time there was anything like this was when traffic rebounded after 9/11. Airlines are desperate for aircraft because of the production problems but the well is dry. I think in this dislocated system that cancellations are quite possible.”
Avia said as much as 80% of its fleet of 212 planes in Europe could be leased out on short-term contracts this summer to plug the gap. Mr Ziemelis said that while his company and the wider leasing industry will be able to meet some of the demand, some airlines will likely find they are not able to meet the capacity needed.
Research by the company found that just eight of the total of 250 planes available to airlines on short-term deals across Europe have not yet been rented out, showing huge demand ahead of the busy summer season. According to Mr Ziemelis, airlines who have hired craft include Wizz Air, which has taken on seven jets after being forced to ground around 45 planes due the Pratt & Whitney issue, as well as British Airways with four and TUI taking 14.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has already warned that the budget airline will have to cancel some flights this summer due to delays in getting new planes from Boeing. But the manufacturer has defended its record over the 737 MAX planes, and said its “in-service reliability is above 99 per cent and consistent with other commercial airplane models.”
The Mirror has contacted Boeing for comment.
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