The global aviation industry is moving more rapidly away from bigger jets as the coronavirus pandemic changes the way companies think about their operations. Orders for wide-body jets are waning even as airlines prepare to restore operations with new narrow-body planes, the WSJ’s Benjamin Katz reports, a shift that will echo across businesses from parts suppliers to airfreight shippers. Rolls-Royce Holdings showed the impact with its notice that it has raised more than $2.5 billion to shore up its liquidity as demand for its engines that power big jets declines. Airbus SE booked 21 orders for wide-bodies in the first half of the year but saw 22 cancellations, even as it took orders for 344 narrowbodies from customers looking for flexibility and less risk in passenger operations. That could roil a freight market that depends on the gaping space in the bellies of wide-body passenger jets.
– Bob
Operations and Supply Chain Management 