Boeing excuses for the crash of the 737 MAX at the opening of the Paris Air Show

A senior Boeing executive apologized on Monday for the crash of 737 MAX aircraft that killed 346 people, disasters that put safety first in the air when aerospace companies gathered for the opening of the Paris Air Show .

The American aerospace giant is striving to regain the confidence of pbadengers, pilots and regulators after the crash of a 737 operated by the Indonesian flight Lion Air last October, followed by the flight of the aircraft. an Ethiopian Airlines jet in March.

"We are truly sorry for the loss of life resulting from the tragic accidents … our thoughts and prayers are with their families," Boeing Commercial Aircraft Director Kevin McAllister told reporters at of the air show.

"Our priority is to do everything we can to get this plane back to service safely, which is a crucial moment for all of us," he said.

McAllister and other executives, however, have many questions about Boeing's 737 MAX claims handling, allegedly caused by a defective MCAS anti-stall system.

Critics accuse Boeing of failing to sufficiently test a single-sensor system to determine if the 737 was at risk of failing and failing to adequately inform and train the pilots.

Reports also suggest that US safety regulators have allowed Boeing engineers to self-certify the system, which has raised concerns about the lack of oversight by the aircraft builder. .

McAllister said that a fix planned for the anti-stall software would use two sensors, but he has not yet submitted his proposal to regulators, who have landed the plane indefinitely.

"We are very confident that the three layers of protection we expect with the software update will prevent such a situation from happening again," he said.

At the Paris Air Show, several officials said they wanted to improve the transparency of aircraft safety after the crash of the 737 MAX, while promising to reduce emissions for an industry increasingly watched by the public.

The largest aerospace fair in the world, which brings together nearly 2,500 companies from 49 countries and 290 official delegations, including heads of government and weapons leaders, is expected to have few outstanding products or orders.

But with the slowdown in pbadenger traffic this year, the atmosphere at the fair, where Boeing and Airbus rivals are generally competing for aircraft orders, was much less self-congratulatory than in recent years.

President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the event at Le Bourget airport after going on board a gray mothership refueler in the Airbus A330 operated by the Army of Le Bourget. French air.

He then attended the unveiling of a full-size model of the new fighter jet that France and Germany are promoting as a symbol of their efforts to strengthen European defense autonomy at a time when the relations with the United States are deteriorating.

The stealth aircraft is part of the ambitious Future Air Combat System (FCAS), which includes new generation drones and missiles, which would help reduce the EU's dependence on the Regards aircraft and American equipment.

The cooperation framework was then signed by the French, German and Spanish defense ministers, to date the only other EU country to join the project, which aims to put into service its new aircraft. here 2040.

Macron then toured Le Bourget's large exhibition halls, where dozens of companies are touting their efforts to make flights cleaner against airline carbon emissions.

Airbus has officially unveiled its A321 XLR, the latest version of its popular A320 single-aisle jet, which can now cross the Atlantic through increased fuel efficiency.

This makes it an option for airlines that currently have to use two-aisle planes that are bigger and more energy-hungry on longer routes.

The American company Air Lease Corporation has signed a letter of intent for the purchase of 27 aircraft. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2023.

Both Airbus and Boeing have experienced a wave of order cancellations as airlines struggle with a slowdown in pbadenger growth since the beginning of this year.

And air cargo cargoes, which are often an indicator of the trend of pbadenger traffic, have declined to date in 2019, reflecting trade tensions sparked by US President Donald Trump's decision to impose duties. customs duties on several European and Chinese imports.

If the aviation market continues to moderate, Airbus and Boeing could experience their disappointing first year after more than a decade of strong growth, driven in particular by the growing number of pbadengers traveling to Asia.

The two industry leaders can console themselves with full order books after strong revenue growth last year, when their combined deliveries exceeded 1,600 aircraft.

According to badysts, nearly 40,000 aircraft will be in service by 2038, double the current fleet of the sector.