John Plant

Executive Chairman & CEO, Howmet Aerospace

Search every verified John Plant interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. John Plant, executive chairman and co-CEO of Howmet Aerospace, discussed the company's recent performance and outlook in a June 2021 interview. He attributed the company's strengthened balance sheet, reinstated guidance, resumed share buybacks, and planned dividend to a combination of restructuring efforts and market recovery. Plant stated that the aerospace industry is poised for "three very healthy years of outsized growth," driven by the recovery of domestic air travel and expected international flight recovery, before potentially reverting to a more typical 4-5% growth rate by mid-decade. Regarding inflation, Plant noted that Howmet has experienced "very significant inflation" in key raw materials such as nickel alloys and aluminum over recent months. He said the company has largely passed these costs through to customers via contractual escalators, covering about 95% of the impact. Plant also highlighted that defense sales, including components for the F-35 fighter, rose by double digits in the prior year and helped support the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside strength in industrial gas turbine markets.