Boeing’s recession is a ‘burden’ for the entire sector, Airbus executive says By Reuters

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Safety and quality issues exposed at Boeing (NYSE:) by a burst door plug earlier this year risk shaking travelers’ confidence in flying, the chief executive of rival Airbus said.

Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft division, said in an interview with German weekly WirtschaftsWoche that the problem was a “burden for the entire industry.”

“Boeing’s problems may cause more people to question how safe flying really is,” Scherer said.

Boeing has been under increasing pressure to rein in the factory since a Jan. 5 mid-flight accident caused by a missing bolt caused a door plug torn apart a best-selling 737 MAX series jet.

Scherer dismissed claims that Boeing’s problems could force Airbus to raise prices for its own jets, adding that pricing is determined purely by demand exceeding supply and that it is difficult to predict how the situation will unfold in the future.

“I would venture to say that a sick competitor can behave in relatively unpredictable ways. If a company involuntarily finds itself holding dozens of aircraft in inventory, a major sell-off could begin.”