The head of Boeing’s commercial airline business said that he was hopeful the depressed aviation sector could bounce back in 2010.

Published: 19 Jun 2009

The head of Boeing’s commercial airline business said that he was hopeful the depressed aviation sector could bounce back in 2010.

“There is no certainty. But it does feel to us that there are reasons to hope that the recovery will begin next year,” said Scott Carson, president and chief executive of Boeing’s commercial aircraft division.

“Are we down in the dumps about the status of this industry? Have we allowed the current economic situation to overwhelm us and discourage us from the path ahead? The answer is absolutely no,” said Carson.

“At this point it appears to us that the economic conditions have bottomed,” Carson said. “If they have bottomed and a recovery comes next year, I think we have a shot at getting through.”

Boeing recently cut its outlook for the commercial aircraft market for the first time in at least a decade, which Carson said was mainly driven by the drop in freight traffic due to the global recession.

“On the passenger side, if we have hit the bottom and it feels like we could be bouncing on the bottom and if capital remains available as we move into next year I think we have an opportunity to hold our production rates where they are,” Carson said.

While many aviation industry watchers are focused on gloomy forecasts, expecting the airline industry to collectively lose $9 billion this year due to a plunge in revenue, Carson sought to focus on the industry's longer range possibilities.

“The long-term prospects for the industry are as robust as they have ever been,” Carson said.