Boeing crisis opens door for Airbus to win new Middle East deals

Al-Monitor Pro Members

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst, Al-Monitor

Jan. 28, 2024

Weeks after a cabin panel blew off a brand-new Boeing plane midflight on Jan. 5, 2024, repercussions are mounting for the US aerospace giant, which has been on a hot streak in the Middle East after winning landmark orders cumulatively worth over $100 billion last year. Key US customers are increasingly voicing displeasure with Boeing’s ongoing manufacturing problems, with United Airlines reporting on Jan. 23 that it will consider alternatives to the planemaker’s next model. Fallout could soon spread to the Middle East, where several potential Boeing deals could be impacted—opening the door for rival Airbus to capitalize despite recent turbulence of its own.