Boeing going through dry patch
11 / 06 / 2012
CARGO-jet orders are on the slide, along with traffic volumes, says US-based Boeing.
The world’s leading maker of cargo aircraft has not managed to secure even one freighter order this year.
In contrast, 2011 was a bumper year for the company with 79 orders worth US$19.5bn.
International shipments fell 2.5 per cent in April despite capacity climbing 1.8 per cent, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Cargo traffic in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region dropped 4.6 per cent and 4.4 per cent, respectively.
“It certainly hasn’t helped sales any of our freighter airplanes,” reveals Tom Crabtree, Boeing’s regional director of cargo marketing. “It is most certainly in the mind of a lot of our customers.”
Cargo-only aircraft handle about 60 per cent of global air freight shipments, while passenger planes fly the rest in their bellies, he adds.
Boeing has about 90 per cent of the market for new freighters, dominating Airbus, the world’s leading commercial-aircraft maker.