Supply chain chaos becomes aviation's 'new norm'

Years after the pandemic, the aviation industry is still struggling to recover from supply chain disruptions that have been exacerbated by record passenger demand and geopolitical challenges, executives and suppliers say.

- JUN YUAN YONG JULIE ZHU

People visit the Airbus pavilion at the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre on Tuesday.

(REUTERS)

Airlines have been forced to keep older, less fuel-efficient planes flying for longer as some deliveries from Airbus and Boeing are delayed because engine makers and other suppliers are juggling competing demands from new plane assembly and maintenance for existing fleets.

Prolonged supply delays and bottlenecks appear to have become the “new norm”, said Jeffrey Lam, the chief operating officer and president of commercial aerospace at ST Engineering, the world’s largest airframe maintenance and repair services provider.

“We are afraid that this new norm will stay, which is completely unacceptable,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of this week’s Singapore Airshow.

The shortages are also driving up costs for airlines, such as Singapore Airlines’ low-cost carrier Scoot, its CEO Leslie Thng said during a panel discussion at Asia’s biggest aviation and defence event.