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LE BOURGET, France: The first day of the Paris Air Show saw grey and gloomy skies with constant rain - mirroring the bleak expectations at the aerospace extravaganza.
But at one of the first few press conferences held in the day, US jet makers Boeing tried to downplay the grim prospects for the industry which has been getting much attention in the lead up to the Paris Air Show.
Scott Carson, head of commercial airline business at Boeing, said he felt the current situation may have bottomed out and that green shoots of recovery may just start taking off next year.
Louis Le Portz, Chairman and CEO of the Paris Air told Channel NewsAsia he believes the turbulence being experienced now will "just be a short period of time".
He added: "People will be ready to travel again and it will be difficult to stop that. So I believe in the future of the air transportation."
He also echoed sentiments from the recent IATA meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
He said: "The Asia Pacific market is growing, so I am very confident of the Asia Pacific market, and I think you will have your own aircraft manufacturers."
In addition, giving some reasons for the industry to smile was Airbus's first order at the Paris Air Show.
Going against the grain, Qatar Airways will be acquiring 24 Airbus jets - a deal worth US$1.9 billion for Airbus.
Still, analysts are bearish about any other major sales announcements over the week as many carriers struggle with higher oil prices and falling passenger traffic. - CNA/ms
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