Industries everywhere have seen the effects of supply chain disruptions ever since the onset of the Covid pandemic and the aerospace business has felt the impact as acutely as any other. From top-tier OEMs to small companies at the end of the supply chain, it seems virtually no one has escaped the fallout from drastic production cuts during the public health crisis and raw materials shortages. In a series of interviews with AIN, aerospace companies shared their strategies to address the problem, from shifting sources of titanium to more often engaging in multi-source procurement of parts. Still, turnaround times continue to lag everywhere, as OEMs try to accelerate production rates beyond 2019 levels in reaction to the unexpectedly robust and speedy recovery from the pandemic.
While opinions on when the industry will see a full recovery from the supply chain challenges vary, sentiments expressed by some companies appear to point to a measure of relief. Raytheon subsidiary Collins Aerospace, for one, told AIN that reduction in demand in certain industries and increased investment by others have begun to mitigate challenges associated with the supply of electronic components following stubborn shortages and delivery delays last year. However, it added that raw materials supply remains constrained, causing increasing shortages of machined parts.
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