It's a case of good news and bad news for the airline industry. The good news is that passenger numbers this summer are set to soar past pre-pandemic levels.
The bad news is that airlines don't have enough planes to cope with the demand. So, why the lack of aircraft?
Production problems at Boeing and Airbus
The world's two largest plane makers, Boeing and Airbus, are both suffering serious technical problems. Firstly, there's a full-on safety crisis at Boeing after a door flew off mid-air on one of its 737 MAX 9 planes in January.
Meanwhile, over 300 Airbus planes have had to be grounded this year because of engine manufacturer flaws.
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft takes off from San Francisco International Airport last week./China News Service
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Fewer new planes
Those issues have left carriers high and dry, many of whom have placed big orders for new aircraft. Experts say passenger carriers will likely receive 19 per cent fewer aircraft in 2024 than initial estimates had predicted.
It has meant that airlines have had to spend billions of dollars maintaining older, less fuel-efficient, aircraft - or lease planes from other companies. In some cases, such as with Ryanair, it's even meant some routes being cut from schedules altogether.
It's all incredibly frustrating for airlines when you consider that passenger numbers are set to break records in 2024 with 4.7 billion people expected to travel. And with companies scrambling to meet that demand it seems that the airline industry is set to face a fair bit of turbulence in the months ahead.
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