Issue Summary

The first half of 2019 featured quieter forms of aircraft-related disruptions, some engine-related and others tied to delivery delays. Just as frustrating were inordinate operational disruptions from increasingly volatile weather and increasingly unreliable air traffic control, the latter affecting Europe most disruptively. Overlay these concerns with a raging trade war that’s already torpedoing air cargo demand and triggering broader concerns about the health of the global economy, especially outside the U.S. There were geopolitical concerns too, including Brexit, U.S.-Iran tensions, India-Pakistan tensions, unrest in Hong Kong, and terror attacks in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.