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SINGAPORE : The world's second-largest aircraft maker Boeing expects new orders for passenger aircraft to fall short of deliveries this year.
Boeing said at the Singapore Airshow that airlines may return to profit next year, but demand for planes will pick up only in 2012.
Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner jet finally took off on its test flights in December 2009, after many delays.
The company said it is on track to delivering the first plane to its launch customer, ANA, by the fourth quarter of this year. But overall, new orders may lag deliveries this year.
Boeing may also scrap plans for a short-range 787-3 model due to low demand.
But it has not seen cancellations of 71 various aircraft ordered by Japan Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy last month.
In 2009, Boeing delivered over 480 commercial aircraft, and it said some 460 to 465 planes could be delivered this year, including the 787 Dreamliner. The company also expects fewer cancellations and deferrals.
Currently, the US-based company has a backlog of some 3,400 aircraft, valued at US$250 billion.
Going forward, Boeing sees opportunity in China, with expected demand of 3,800 aircraft over 20 years valued at US$400 billion.
But Boeing side-stepped a question on the impact of potential Chinese sanctions on American companies due to a recent decision by the US to sell arms to Taiwan.
Randy Tinseth, vice president, Marketing, Commercial Airplanes, Boeing, said: "The whole situation with China and Taiwan is truly a government-to-government issue. It is clearly premature for us to speculate on the impact of such an issue, and any issue, whether it be on our industry or our business."
Analysts said the budget travel business is something that Boeing needs to watch. They said recent operational tie-ups between low-cost carriers Jetstar and AirAsia could give competitor Airbus a boost.
Shashank Nigam, CEO & Aviation Analyst, Simpliflying Pte Ltd, said: "They own an all-Airbus fleet and Airbus can literally milk them if they take care of these clients.
"So maybe Boeing can do something like that, maybe Ryan Air or other low-cost airlines which are growing fast... it might be an Indian airline, for example, SpiceJet flies all Boeing or it might be Korean or some other budget airline".
Budget travel passenger traffic in the region may grow some 10 per cent this year. - CNA/ms
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