Boeing CEO cancels air show appearance visit after India crash

(Reuters) -Boeing <BA.N> and GE Aerospace are scaling back their public activities following the fatal crash of an Air India jetliner, with the planemaker's CEO canceling his trip to the Paris Airshow next week and GE postponing an investor day.

More than 240 people were killed when an Air India Boeing 787 jet bound for London crashed moments after taking off from the city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. 

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a message to staff on Thursday evening that he and Boeing Commercial Airplanes boss Stephanie Pope had canceled plans to attend the Paris Airshow "so we can be with our team and focus on our customer and the investigation."

The air show, which runs from June 16 to June 20 at Le Bourget, is the global aviation industry's largest trade show, where many aircraft orders are typically placed by airlines.

Ortberg had been due to attend for the first time as Boeing CEO since being appointed to lead the company out of a series of back-to-back safety, industrial and corporate crises.

Aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace, whose engines were in the Boeing 787 plane, had planned an investor day on June 17 coinciding with the show.

GE said the briefing had been canceled and it would put a team together to go to India and analyze data from the crashed airplane. 

"GE Aerospace's senior leadership is focused on supporting our customers and the investigation," the company said. It said it planned to give a financial update later this month.

Safety experts stressed it was too early to speculate why one of the world's most modern airliners should crash shortly after take-off. Accidents in that phase of flight are rare, said Paul Hayes, safety director at UK consultancy Cirium Ascend.

Most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors.

Under global aviation rules, India will lead the probe with support from NTSB investigators in the United States, who will in turn liaise with Boeing and GE on technical matters.

The reduced attendance plans came as delegates said the crash had cast a somber mood over the air show, putting in doubt several order announcements and putting safety back in the spotlight alongside concerns over U.S. tariffs.

The world’s largest aviation trade expo, running from June 16 to 20 in Le Bourget, usually gives aircraft and arms manufacturers a key stage to showcase deals and sets the tone for a global supply chain already under pressure from shortages.

Boeing shares were down Friday, falling 3.8%, while GE Aerospace was down 2.4%. 

FEWER DEALS

Boeing has cancelled some events and is unlikely to make any commercial order announcements at the show, though it will press ahead with low-key briefings on other topics, delegates said.

One key expected announcement had been a potential order for dozens of Boeing jets including the 787 from Royal Air Maroc. But the airline plans no announcement at the show and this will also affect Airbus which had been expected to win sell it some 20 A220s, industry sources said.

None of the companies had any comment on specific deals.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury on Friday expressed condolences over the accident and the world's largest planemaker was expected to observe a muted tone surrounding what had been expected to be a busy week for orders to meet high demand.

One delegate said business would continue but with fewer of the high-profile press conferences and in-person announcements associated with the industry’s biggest commercial showcase. 

Another said some order announcements could be delayed until later in the year as a mark of respect for victims.

"The show will be a lot more sombre, less celebratory," said a delegate involved in planning one such announcement, speaking anonymously because the plans have not been publicly revealed.

"The show will go ahead as planned, but it will be more subdued and with less cheerleading," the delegate said.

(Allison Lampert in Montreal and David Shepardson in Washington, Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Leslie Adler, Jamie Freed and Nick Zieminski)