Boeing will take months to increase jet production to the rates targeted before the union workers' strike that ended on November 5, leaving frustrated Gulf airlines awaiting deliveries of their delayed aircraft, analysts said.
The US plane-maker will build up its production rate slowly and gradually as workers return to their duties starting from November 6, with the 737 Max production output expected to reach the “the mid-teens” in the first quarter of next year, John Grant, senior analyst at travel data firm OAG, told The National.
This falls short of the goal of 38 planes a month before the strike, which had halted work on the 737 model. The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) had earlier frozen the monthly production rate of the 737 Max as Boeing works on a plan to improve its quality control and safety processes.
“They cannot get back to those numbers without full clearance from the FAA and that is going to take months, I anticipate they will get to the mid-teens by the end of the first quarter 2025 at best,” Mr Grant said.
US investment bank Jefferies expects that production could restart in the “upper teens” after the end of the strikes, compared to about 25 a month pre-strike rate, it said in a note on November 5.
Analysts expect Boeing to exceed its pre-strike production level on its best-selling 737 narrow-body model by 2027.
“Boeing can probably get back to its pre-strike production rates within a few months. This is because those pre-strike production rates were terrible. Getting to where they want to be, which is well over twice those pre-strike rates, will take longer than it would have before the strike,” Richard Aboulafia, managing director of US-based aerospace consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, told The National.
“Maybe in late 2026 or 2027, they’ll get to [production] rate 40 on the 737.”
Boeing's US West Coast factory workers accepted a new contract offer on Tuesday, ending a seven-week strike that had halted production of its best-selling 737 Max jet, as well as the 767 and 777 wide-bodies. The strike that started September 13 hammered Boeing's finances and added to the US plane maker's mounting woes.
Gulf airlines have expressed frustration with Boeing's continuing aircraft delivery delays, which were worsened by the strikes, as the lack of new planes hampered their growth plans amid strong air travel demand.
Emirates in October said plans to hold a “serious conversation” with Boeing in the next two months after the troubled US plane maker again pushed back the delivery date for its 777X, delaying its largest wide-body aircraft by about six years. In a terse statement, Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said “I fail to see how Boeing can make any meaningful forecasts of delivery dates”, given certification issues on the 777X and the strikes that were still under way at the time.
Last month, flydubai chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said the industry needs more aircraft manufacturers to enter the market to stimulate competition and shake up the dominance of Boeing and Airbus. Delays in Boeing aircraft deliveries are affecting Flydubai's capacity to grow, forcing the airline to cancel the launch of routes planned for the second half of this year and to reduce flight frequency. The all-Boeing fleet operator said in July that it was informed by Boeing that it would not receive any more planes this year.
“Airlines have already been wrestling with the uncertainty caused by delivery delays and the inability to plan future schedule seasons with confidence,” London-based independent aviation consultant John Strickland told The National.
While it is a relief for Boeing to end the workers' dispute, increasing its jet production rates will require prioritising the quality of its and its relationships with employees and suppliers.
“Given the complexity of production processes and the complex web of sub-suppliers who have borne their own impact from the strike, this will not be an easy task,” Mr Strickland said.
“It will take months rather than days or weeks to ramp up production and even then there are still the regulator imposed limits on output as the company seeks to restore necessary quality and safety processes.”
While ending the strike is a positive step, Boeing still has a lot of work to do in the months and years ahead as chief executive Kelly Ortberg executes a wider plan to turn around the aerospace company.
The next step is to finish the acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, the Wichita, Kansas-based supplier that produces the fuselage for its 737 Max jet and negotiate a contract with the 3,000-strong St Louis machinists, largely for defence production, George Ferguson, senior aerospace analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, told The National.
“After this, it's all about improving quality and production throughput, reducing inventory and generating cash. Everything is largely in place, now its time to execute,” Mr Ferguson said.
Restarting and increasing production is necessary for the company to start generating cash and repaying debt, Ben Tsocanos, aerospace director at S&P Global Ratings, said in a report on November 5.
“We're watching to see how quickly aircraft production can recover and ramp up,” he said.
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Company%20profile
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Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In%20the%20Land%20of%20Saints%20and%20Sinners
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERobert%20Lorenz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Liam%20Neeson%2C%20Kerry%20Condon%2C%20Jack%20Gleeson%2C%20Ciaran%20Hinds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
INDIA%20SQUAD
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. 
