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Boeing senior MD global strategic initiatives commercial sales and marketing Malcom An, speaking at Routes Asia 2025, reported (25-Mar-2025) the following aircraft programme updates:

• 737 MAX: Boeing will demonstrate at least two or three months of "production stability" to the US FAA before increasing the production rate. The company is making "steady progress" on certification of the MAX 7 and MAX 10, but the process is dependent on the FAA;
• 787: Targeting production of 10 aircraft per month by 2026;
• 777-9: Boeing is still targeting the first delivery "sometime in 2026".

Boeing senior MD global strategic initiatives commercial sales and marketing Malcom An, speaking at Routes Asia 2025, commented (25-Mar-2025) on industry headwinds, stating the trade tariff situation "remains fluid". He said Boeing is focused on "working to mitigate the risk to our global supply chain". Mr An noted that Boeing aircraft are sold out for the next five to six years on "pretty much every platform", so airlines need to plan ahead. He added: "The industry cannot grow without a collaborative focus".

ACI Asia Pacific & Middle East director general Stefano Baronci, speaking at Routes Asia 2025, stated (25-Mar-2025) Asia Pacific "will be dominating" other regions based on forecast passenger growth to 2033, 2043 and 2053. Asia Pacific is expected to record more than seven billion passengers by 2043, which will be higher than Europe and North America combined, and nine billion by 2053, which would be more than the current global total. Mr Baronci said Asia Pacific is forecast to contribute 3.9 billion additional passengers (46.8% of overall growth) for the period 2024 to 2043. He said demographics in Asia Pacific indicate a "fantastic opportunity for growth", also noting that "there is no substitution to air transport" in the region.

Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) director general Subhas Menon, speaking at Routes Asia 2025, commented (25-Mar-2025) on the aviation industry's efforts to address its climate impact, stating: "Airlines are being asked to bear the brunt of the transition". He said airlines will bear the majority of the estimated USD4.7 trillion cost of transitioning to sustainable aviation fuel by 2050. Mr Menon commented: "Airlines will get it done, but we'll need a lot of help from governments and suppliers".

Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) director general Subhas Menon, speaking at Routes Asia 2025, stated (25-Mar-2025) the Asia Pacific airline sector has fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic on a demand basis, adding: "Airlines are doing reasonably well, under the circumstances". Mr Menon noted that Asia Pacific was the leading region for traffic growth in 2024 and the region is home to seven of the top 10 busiest international routes. He said the region's airlines "could do much better" if more aircraft and engines were delivered on time. Mr Menon said Asia Pacific airline earnings are resilient, but "margins are not anything to shout about". Mr Menon also noted that "the airline industry is becoming more efficient", despite supply chain constraints. He said "efficiency has significantly improved" for Asia Pacific carriers, citing high load factors.

Emerald Airlines welcomed (30-Mar-2025) data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) Aviation Trends for 2024, highlighting the carrier as the "number one on-time airline to and from the UK in 2024". The carrier recorded an on time performance in excess of 80% in all quarters of 2024. COO Richard Spencer stated: "We look forward to exceeding expectations in the year ahead, providing smooth and timely operations for our passengers for 2025 and beyond". [more - original PR]