Boeing's Bad Omen: Paris Air Show Turbulence After Dreamliner Disaster!

Signs and Portents: A Witcher's Eye View

Hmm winds howling. Seems like someone's stirring up trouble. Just when Boeing's CEO Kelly Ortberg thought he could strut into the Paris Air Show with a bit of swagger after climbing out of the muck fate throws a griffon his way. Profits are up the 737 Max is spitting out of the factory like a kikimore from a bog and things are finally looking up after years of manufacturing mishaps and a good old fashioned rivalry with Airbus. But as I always say 'Evil is evil. Lesser greater middling… Makes no difference. The degree is arbitary. The definition’s blurred. If I’m to choose between one evil and another then I prefer not to choose at all.' This time though evil came in the form of a downed Dreamliner.

Canceled Plans: No Champagne and Model Planes for Ortberg

Ortberg smart lad canceled his appearance faster than you can say 'Lambert Lambert what a prick.' Can't say I blame him. Nobody wants to be popping champagne corks while bodies are still being pulled from the wreckage. The Air India flight a Boeing 787 8 Dreamliner turned into a fiery meteor shortly after takeoff. Only one survivor a twist of fate worthy of a Dopplerganger. Ortberg's absence is wise. As Triss Merigold once said 'Sometimes doing nothing is the best course of action.' Though I doubt she was talking about airshows then.

Black Boxes and Whispers of Doom

The cause? Unknown of course. Everyone's looking for answers scratching their heads like gnomes over a broken contraption. They'll be pouring over those 'black boxes'—fancy name for cockpit recorders—trying to piece together what went wrong. Ortberg's right to urge caution but that won't stop the whispers. 'Wind's howling' as they say. I wonder if it was a monster or just plain old human error. Perhaps a curse but I am not so sure.

Missiles and Mayhem: Geopolitics Grounding Flights

As if a flaming plane wasn't enough someone decided to launch a few missiles for good measure. Israel and Iran are at it again turning the skies into a battlefield. Airlines are rerouting flights faster than I can down a pint of ale in the Pontar. All of a sudden everyone is thinking about military budgets and the price of war. 'Damn I’m good,' Geralt thought while he read the latest news in the town's notice board.

Orders Still Flying High: Coin Talks

Despite the grim news the show must go on… and so must the orders. Boeing Airbus and Embraer are still expecting to rake in hundreds of deals. Seems like everyone wants a new plane even if they have to wait until the next decade to get it. Boeing even predicts a need for over 43,000 new planes in the next twenty years! Emerging markets are driving the growth apparently. All that coin going straight into the pockets of the fat cats. I could use a bit of that myself... for research.

Pricey Birds: Tariffs and Tight Supply

Of course nothing is ever simple. Trained workers are scarce tariffs are popping up like mushrooms after a rain and prices are skyrocketing. An Airbus A321neo will set you back $65 million while a Boeing 737 Max 8 costs about $55.5 million. And if you just want to rent one of these flying behemoths be prepared to bleed coin. A 12 year old Boeing 737 will cost you $241,000 a month! Makes you wonder if a good old fashioned griffin hunt might be a more affordable way to travel. Perhaps not they are bloody fast.