The suppliers in the aviation industry are complaining about growing problems in recruiting personnel.
(Photo: dpa)
Frankfurt The Munich-based engine specialist MTU Aero Engines has increased sales and earnings in the first nine months and is slightly raising its forecast for 2022 as a whole. Compared to the previous year, sales increased by 27 percent to 3.82 billion euros, the operating result even rose by 46 percent to 448 million euros. The company announced on Thursday morning.
CEO Reiner Winkler said: “On the basis of these good results and the current environment, which is characterized, among other things, by a favorable development of the dollar exchange rate, we can increase our forecast today.” Management now expects annual sales of up to 5 .5 billion euros – instead of the previous 5.4 billion euros. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes are expected to rise in the “low thirties”.
The figures of the Dax company show: The deep crisis in the aviation industry, which was triggered by the pandemic, is over. People are flying again, the airlines are investing in new jets. Lufthansa also presented good figures on Thursday. In addition, the high climate requirements of the EU Commission are driving demand in civil aircraft construction.
Things are now looking up so much that many suppliers can hardly keep up with recruiting the necessary staff. However, this is needed in order to build more aircraft of the A320 family in the future, as planned by Airbus. Production at Airbus is already behind schedule because engine manufacturers, for example, have delivery problems.
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Michael Santo from the aviation-focused consulting company H&Z from Munich reports: “In the past, when ramping up, you turned to the labor market and recruited the staff to manage the ramp-up of production. Today, companies hardly get any feedback on the labor market.”
A few days ago, Santo and his team created their regular mood barometer for the aviation industry. Around 90 percent of the industry managers surveyed named the availability of personnel and rising personnel costs as the dominant challenge. “The issue of staff shortages only sounded very quietly in our surveys about nine months ago, but in the meantime it has pushed concerns about material shortages from the top spot,” says Santo.
Aviation industry has lost its attractiveness in the pandemic
In the two years of the pandemic, the aviation industry has lost its attractiveness with long periods of short-time work, the consultant explains: “The nimbus that things are always going up despite crises has been lost. That shows now.”
Despite the good figures, such as MTU presented on Thursday and Airbus could deliver on Friday, the mood in the industry has clouded over somewhat, according to Santo. Only the suppliers that are active in the classic short and medium-haul business could keep up with Airbus. “Those whose portfolio is heavily geared towards long-haul routes have a real problem.” Because little is happening in this segment, including at Airbus.
The pandemic had made many suppliers realize how attached they were to Airbus and the important short- and medium-haul A320 program. Airbus had temporarily reduced production of the popular jets significantly. Therefore, many of the often medium-sized suppliers were looking for alternative customers.
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“But the hopes that arise quickly collapse,” says consultant Santo. Most of the 100 billion euro package for the Bundeswehr will go to the United States. Even the promising Dornier 328 Eco has not yet been able to meet expectations.
The company Deutsche Aircraft is working on a more climate-friendly new edition of the famous Dornier 328 regional aircraft. Behind the company is the US company Sierra Nevada Corporation with its subsidiary 328 Support Services, which owns the rights to the Dornier 328. But the program has been delayed, and the certification of the 328 Eco is currently planned for 2026.
The planned aircraft has a large presence at trade fairs, but has not yet been able to announce any major market success, says Santo: “This tends to lead to reluctance among potential suppliers.” Future topics such as hydrogen would not yet have a broad impact in the supplier industry.
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