Boeing

With international travel rebounding, airlines are scrambling to add aircraft to their fleets. But Boeing and Airbus will struggle to meet their ambitious production targets, given supply chain woes and regulatory scrutiny, the head of the world's largest aircraft lessor said.

Boeing appears ready to move its headquarters to the Washington, D.C., area, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal Thursday.

Global planemakers are confident in their ability to meet production targets despite the Western sanctions on Russian exports. The aerospace industry relies on Russian supply of this key metal for aircraft production.

Boeing and Airbus have ambitious plans to deliver hundreds of airplanes to the world's airlines this year, but supply chain woes could imperil their targets. Boeing, in particular, is struggling to meet its goals, said Steve Udvar-Hazy, executive chairman of Air Lease Corp.

Russia has moved to block foreign leasing companies from repossessing their aircraft in the country. More than half of the commercial airplanes in Russia are owned by Western lessors, and the lessors have until March 28 to comply with sanctions and repossess those airplanes. But Russia's move to essentially commandeer those aircraft is a violation of international law and could cost lessors billions of dollars.

The global travel industry is split over doing business in Russia, although the vast majority of companies are abiding by the relevant economic sanctions. Moral outrage, self-interest, and disparate views over harming ordinary Russians are clashing big time.

The Omicron variant has spooked Ryanair's usually brash CEO Michael O'Leary. After a disappointing December, he is now uncharacteristically cautious about the summer, which previous forecasts had held would be a blockbuster for the European low-cost carrier.

Boeing faces down a myriad of challenges in 2022 from resuming deliveries of its 787 to certifying more models of its bread-and-butter 737 Max. But in the face of adversity, the U.S. planemaker is finding silver linings in its plight and is optimistic about its future.

Allegiant Air, which long operated an all-Airbus fleet, surprised everyone with its order for up to 100 Boeing 737 Maxes. The Las Vegas-based budget airline says the move is "opportunistic," but whatever it is, it's a shot in the arm for beleaguered Boeing.

The Boeing 737 Max returned to flight, ending a 20-month grounding that started in 2019 after two fatal accidents. Most people didn't even notice, and that's just how the airlines and Boeing wanted it. Despite that, the aircraft is a crucial piece of hardware that airlines are relying on to help them climb out of the pandemic.