Grounding of Boeing plane hovers over big air show in Paris

Uncertainty over a Boeing jet and apprehension about the global economy hover over the aircraft industry as it prepares for next week’s Paris Air Show.

For one, the Boeing 737 Max has been grounded worldwide for three months after new flight software played a role in two deadly plane crashes. There is no clear date for when it might fly again.

There are also signs that the economy could work against air travel and cargo shipments. The growth in airline passenger traffic is slowing down, and air cargo shipments are falling.

And airlines have committed to buy so many planes in recent years that Boeing now has a backlog of 5,500 orders and Airbus has 7,200. Airlines might not have much appetite for more.