Jet-engine makers face a long recovery from the pandemic

THE ABSENCE of vapour trails in a clear sky is an obvious sign that commercial aviation has been hit hard by covid-19. The upshot for the makers of the jet engines that create those ephemeral streaks—fewer planes sold, fewer flying hours and older aircraft retiring early as fleets are pruned—is a triple blow for an industry that mostly profits by keeping them in the air for years after they are sold.