Aviation sector could make comeback in 2010

Global – The battered aviation industry could make a recovery as soon as next year, said the chief of Boeing's commercial airline business at the launch of the Paris Air Show on Monday.

"There is no certainty. But it does feel to us that there are reasons to hope that the recovery will begin next year," Scott E Carson, CEO of Commercial Airplanes Boeing said at a press conference at Le Bourget outside Paris.

"At this point it appears to us that the economic conditions have bottomed," Carson said, adding that the company's commercial jet division could begin witnessing growth as soon as 2010.

The launch of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, which had been speculated to coincide with the air show, has been delayed.  

"If you expect the fly during the air show, you will be disappointed," Carson told reporters, although a launch is expected by the end of the June.

Additionally, Boeing's new 747-8 freighter plane, which has previously been delayed, is expected to launch by the end of this year.

Carson said Boeing is not looking to cut back assembly lines this year, Although it will cut production of its wide-body 777 by 28% in mid-2010 and freeze the production rate of its 767 and 747, Bizjournals reported.

Rival Airbus has announced cuts to the production of its A320 single aisle plane, A380 superjumbo and froze production of its wide-body A330.

Carson said he expects the credit crunch on airlines to ease toward a "more normal" environment next year.

Industry experts are optimistic about Carson's latest statement.

"Boeing's news was to say we think the recession's bottoming and we're not going to see cuts for 2010," said Wayne Plucker, Aerospace & Defence Industry Manager at Frost & Sullivan.

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