New Delhi, June 18 -- The annual Paris Air Show has historically been a platform for Airbus and Boeing-the duopoly that constitutes the global commercial aircraft industry-to announce customer wins.

The Air India Boeing 787 crash last week has stripped the bluster from this year's show, which runs through this week. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg cancelled his visit, and GE Aerospace, whose engines were fitted on the fatal 787 Dreamliner, called off an investor briefing. Although the reason for the Air India plane crash is unknown, it presents a poor image for Boeing. This incident is the latest in a series of setbacks that have defined much of the past decade for the under-fire American company.

Till 2018, Boeing was riding the growth in civ...