GE, stung by Boeing pullback, pitches for new business with Airbus
General Electric Co. is looking for new business from Airbus SE, as the engine maker’s other big customer, Boeing Co., retrenches.
GE is in talks with Airbus to design and sell an engine variant for Airbus’ latest wide-body, called the A330neo, according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions come in the wake of Boeing’s decision to cut back production of that plane’s rival 787 Dreamliner, according to these people.
The interest at GE in pitching for Airbus business comes amid a major shift in the aviation industry’s global supply lines, largely due to the prolonged grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX. The single-aisle jet is the latest variant of Boeing’s most popular airliner. It was grounded last March after two deadly crashes caused in part by glitches in its flight-control systems.
