Eastside Business Roundtable Recap: A High-Level Look at Commercial Aviation

Bellevue Chamber  |  April 9, 2026

The Eastside Business Roundtable convened on April 9 for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of commercial aviation, the forces shaping Boeing, and the long-term outlook for the global aircraft market. Boeing's Wendy Sowers led the discussion, which was structured as an off-the-record briefing. This recap focuses on the themes members walked away with rather than the specifics shared in the room.

The Long-Term Market Outlook

The session opened with the durability of demand for air travel, which has continued to grow at roughly five percent per year over the last two decades even through major industry shocks. That growth translates into a forecast of tens of thousands of new commercial jets needed over the next twenty years, and the single-aisle segment is expected to drive the majority of that demand as airlines prioritize fuel-efficient aircraft on shorter routes. The overall picture was one of a sector with strong long-term fundamentals and a customer base that continues to plan around steady expansion.

Production, Backlog, and Supply Chain

Conversation turned to production, where the industry is still working through supply chain constraints that have kept output below pre-2018 levels. Members heard a high-level view of the resulting backlog and the measured work of scaling capacity, including ramp-up plans for the 737 program, ongoing progression through certification milestones for the 777X, and continued investment in the 787. The takeaway was that building back capacity is tied as much to workforce and supplier readiness as it is to customer demand, and that the backlog gives the industry meaningful runway to work through these issues carefully.

Safety, Certification, and the Road Ahead

The conversation closed on safety, certification, and the cultural work underway across the company. Members heard how the industry balances regulatory partnership, engineering discipline, and customer commitments, and why each of those pieces has to move together for the sector to deliver on its commitments. The session also touched on how inflation, multi-year pricing, and long delivery horizons factor into the relationships between manufacturers and their airline customers. Members left the room with a clearer picture of where commercial aviation is headed and the decisions that will shape the sector over the next decade.