by WestSideBilly » Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:50 pm
Boeing and EADS both have backlogs in the range of 6 years. If 1/3 of them cancel, that puts their backlogs at about 4 years of 100% production. In 2012, Boeing will have the 787, 747-8, and hopefully a new tanker in production. EADS will have the A350XWB and A400M (and possibly a bunch of tankers getting shipped to Alabama).
Whatever airlines are still in business then will still need new planes, especially the efficient 787 and A350XWB, to replace their aging gas hogs.
Yes, this is very real, but it's not as grave as it may seem. There are still companies that have a lot of capital who will fill in some of the slack - ILFC, Dubai/Emirates, etc. Granted, if things don't pick up by 2011 or so, Boeing and EADS will be staring at a lot of empty manufacturing slots in 2013 and on. This is nothing new; airplanes have always been cyclical.