Boeing, Airbus need to do more to reduce new jet delays, Qatar Airways CEO says

SEOUL (Reuters) - Planemakers Airbus and Boeing need to put more pressure on their suppliers to reduce the delivery delays of new aircraft that are hindering airlines' ability to meet travel demand, Qatar Airways CEO said on Wednesday.

"We are ... really trying our best to assist both Boeing and Airbus and try to find solutions for them to make sure they deliver," Badr Mohammed Al Meer said on a panel at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.

"I know they're under so much pressure when it comes to the supply chain market .. But they need to put more pressure on those suppliers to make sure that airlines stop the bleeding," he said.

Demand for air travel has rebounded since the pandemic, but planemakers are struggling to get back to previous production levels due to disrupted supply chains and a safety crisis at Boeing.

Qatar Airways is unable to meet high post-COVID demand for travel because of the shortage of new aircraft, Meer said.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)