Boeing CEO to Asharq Al-Awsat: Aviation Industry Is Recovering, FII Came at an Important Time

Boeing CEO to Asharq Al-Awsat: Aviation Industry Is Recovering, FII Came at an Important Time

President of Boeing International Sir Michael Arthur said that the aviation industry was recovering and in good condition, stressing its vitality for the global economy.

Commenting on the Riyadh-hosted Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum, Arthur told Asharq Al-Awsatthat he was very impressed with the scope of the conference, which he said came at a very important time in the history of the global economy.

“There is a lot of change happening right now. But I think that Saudi Arabia has an active role in this by bringing people together, and we are looking forward to the next few years,” he stated.

Challenges

On the challenges facing the aviation industry, he said: “We have had three terrible years in this industry, due to the coronavirus pandemic, as the world stopped flying, but now the industry is recovering very quickly.”

Pointing to the high demand for planes, Arthur said the Middle East region ranked above the world average in the number of passengers traveling by plane.

“We are almost back to pre-coronavirus levels now, in the number of flights, and in some countries… There is currently more regional demand and by next year we will be back to full pre-COVID-19 levels or even above them by 10 to