The setup: two market anomalies hitting at once
Commercial aviation is currently dealing with two powerful supply shocks. First, Boeing and Airbus are permanently unable to deliver enough new narrowbodies to the market. MAX output is being choked by tightened regulatory scrutiny, while A320neo supply is held back by bottlenecks at subcontractors. Second, the newest powerplants have turned out to be highly temperamental. Faulty powder metallurgy forced Pratt & Whitney into a global inspection campaign on GTF engines, grounding hundreds of Airbus jets in the process. At the same time, LEAP engines (from the CFM joint venture) are holding up badly in harsh, hot-and-high operating conditions. The need for frequent shop visits radically shortens their time on wing. The result: the industry has nowhere to source new aircraft, and on top of that it cannot fully trust the ones it already owns.