Airbus Dominates Subdued First Day at Paris Air Show

With Boeing on the sidelines, Airbus had a clear runway on day one at Le Bourget. The industry's cautious footing speaks volumes.

The sunny skies on Monday didn’t match the mood on the ground on day one of the Paris Air Show. Last week’s crash of an Air India jet upended the carefully curated plans of Boeing and several other firms at the biennial gathering of the global aerospace industry.

In light of the tragedy – which remains under investigation – the U.S. planemaker trimmed back its program and is adopting a far lower profile than expected just a week ago.

A Boeing source told Skift that the company’s focus is on supporting its customers, rather than announcing orders. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg canceled his visit — a sign of just how limited the company’s presence would be.