As the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to impact air traffic in the region, Boeing Global has admitted it is delivering a severe financial blow to the aviation industry, which is already dealing with operational disruptions and a major crash investigation.
Speaking to NDTV, Brendan Nelson, president of Boeing Global, said the current geopolitical climate is a 'tragedy', which may have global economic consequences, noting that "ours is the most interconnected industry in the world."
“Airlines are taking a financial hit—no two ways about it,” Nelson said. “At the moment, we see that airlines are either not able to fly or are having to avoid airspace in the Middle East. A lot of aircraft are stranded, so to speak, around the world.”
Addressing the economic reality for carriers, Nelson added, “If you aren't flying, you aren't essentially earning. The longer that it goes on, the more significant that impact will be. The longer that it goes on, the more detrimental it will be to the industry.”
The Boeing executive also addressed the investigation into the 2025 crash of Air India Flight 171. Dismissing theories regarding the 787's safety, Nelson said: “I have complete confidence, and the Boeing company has complete confidence, in the 787 aircraft. I'm not going to comment on or add to wild speculation that is not consistent with facts.”
Nelson emphasised the company's internal transformation following past safety crises. “The Boeing company today is a different company from what it was 10 or 15 years ago,” he said. “Kelly Ortberg came in and he said the number one priority for our company is to change our culture. In those [values], the number one is safety and quality.”
Regarding the future of the industry in India, Nelson noted: “We're all in in India, by the way. All in. To help India and Prime Minister Modi build an aviation ecosystem which will be the envy of the world.”
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