In an as-yet unaired interview with American broadcaster NBC, Boeing president David Calhoun reportedly speaks candidly on the dire state of the aviation industry.
“Something will happen when September comes around,” Calhoun reportedly said, referring to the point at which US government support to the industry under the CARES Act expires.
“Traffic levels will not be back to 100 per cent. They won’t even be back to 25 per cent. Maybe by the end of the year, we approach 50 per cent. So there will definitely be adjustments that have to be made on the part of the airlines.”
Bloomberg reports that when asked about the likelihood of another major US carrier going out of business, Calhoun said it was “most likely”.
When followed up for comment, Boeing spokesman Gordon Johndroe said, “He was speaking to the general uncertainty in the sector, not about any one particular airline.”
Calhoun gave a similarly bleak assessment of the industry’s future at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in April, stating that air travel might not return to pre-pandemic levels for several years.
“The health crisis is unlike anything we have ever experienced,” Calhoun said at the time. “Airlines are grounding fleets, deferring airplane orders, postponing acceptance of completed orders, and slowing down or stopping payments.”
The full interview with NBC host Savannah Guthrie airs Tuesday (local time).
