On Monday, a Boeing (BA.US) executive said the company was confident it could handle any potential disruption to titanium supplies because of its "very diverse" supply base.
“We now have a very diverse supply of titanium,” Stan Deal, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said at a briefing before the opening of the Singapore Airshow. supply chain disruptions.”
It is understood that titanium is a lightweight but strong metal widely used in aircraft manufacturing, and Boeing relies heavily on the supply of Russian titanium giant VSMPO-AVISMA. Earlier reports pointed out that Russia may stop exporting titanium to the United States.
However, industry sources say Western airlines have been increasing inventories or diversifying sources of supply since Russia was sanctioned in 2014 for its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, although titanium was not the direct cause. Plus, Western airlines have more time to stockpile with fewer assembled planes due to the pandemic.
