Boeing 737 MAX crisis adds to high demand for older planes

The second-hand market for airplanes is booming due to a chronic shortage that has persisted since the pandemic — and fears are growing that Boeing’s latest crisis could tighten the squeeze in the coming months.

The industry is already some 3,000 planes short of what it planned pre-COVID due to pandemic disruption and other bottlenecks at Boeing and Airbus, leasing firm Avolon says.

Now, curbs on Boeing production in the wake of a mid-air blowout add to pressures forcing airlines to fly older planes for longer — from engine shortages to supply chains and an abrupt snapback in travel in many parts of the world.