The head of the world’s largest airline trade association has some harsh words for aircraft manufacturers and suppliers.
In remarks at the International Air Transport Association’s annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro, director general Willie Walsh called out manufacturers, and specifically engine manufacturers, for, in his view, not doing enough to resolve longstanding supply chain issues.
The global aircraft order backlog is now over 18,000, Walsh noted, and the average fleet age has reached a record 15.2 years. Carriers saddled with aging aircraft are paying the price in the form of missed efficiency gains, higher lease rates, and climbing maintenance costs, he said.
In total, supply chain issues are believed to have cost the airline industry about $11 billion in 2025 alone.
“Deeply disappointed customers have not dented manufacturer finances,” Walsh said. “For example, most engine manufacturer profits were up double digits. I cannot share my reaction to this paradox in polite company, so I leave you to draw your own conclusions.”
A combination of factors has slowed aircraft engine production and deliveries over the past six years, including labor and material shortages and quality and reliability issues. Probably the most notable example of the latter is the ongoing mass recall and repair of Pratt & Whitney’s PW1000G; some of the engine’s parts became susceptible to cracking due to contamination of powdered metal used in production.
“My message to the engine OEMs is simple – stop gouging us and get back to making great engines that work and that last,” Walsh said. “Allowing these failures to extend into the next decade is totally unacceptable to the customers.”
Walsh reserved some praise for CFM International, which recently renewed an agreement with IATA to promote competition in aftermarket services. The deal gives airlines and MRO providers more flexibility in servicing and repairing CFM powerplants, and allows independent MRO providers to compete for engine work
While not a “magic remedy or even a new solution,” Walsh said, the agreement’s terms could improve parts availability and maintenance capacity.
