Boeing, Airbus Hit Back Over Criticism of Delivery Delays

A woman walks past a Boeing logo at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, on Sept. 28, 2021. Aly Song/Reuters

DUBLIN—The world’s two largest planemakers defended themselves on Tuesday following criticism over delivery delays, with a Boeing executive saying increasing production after COVID-19 lockdowns was “not as easy as an on/off switch.”

Aircraft leasing firms have used a major industry conference to hammer manufacturers over delays. Air Lease executive chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy said they had “grossly misjudged” output, while one of Airbus’ largest customers, AerCap, called the European firm’s production targets “very ambitious.”