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Boeing and Airbus Can't Make Enough Airplanes To Keep Up With Demand (axios.com)
From a report on Axios: Aerospace manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus cannot produce airplanes fast enough to meet demand despite what the Wall Street Journal calls "one of the industry's steepest production increases since World War II." The run up in demand is partially the result of fast-growing airline industries in the Middle East and China. Manufacturers will need to increase production by 30% to meet current orders, and such booming demand is one sign of a healthier global economy.
There's competition in the airline industry (Boeing, Airbus being two big players) so they can't do that.
If Boeing raises prices, customers will to go Airbus. And vice versa.
If anything they may even LOWER prices to retain customers as waiting lists get longer. "Sure, you have to wait longer for your aircraft but you save 20% going with us over Airbus!"
becoming a bankruptcy attorney. I live in Everett, WA just north of Seattle and home of the largest building in the world by volume where planes are built by Boeing. I've done bankruptcy filings for hundreds of employees and most of them make well into six figures despite the fact many of them don't even have high school diplomas. Boeing simply can't afford to work them more than forty hours, and in many cases the employees can just refuse because of union rules. Because of the union, Boeing can't afford to have that much headroom. This is the fault of unions.
Aircraft aren't like cars, you can't just hop from one to the next. There are certifications, training, simulators, supply chain, support infrastructure, etc. etc. It's why low-cost carriers are total monocultures in terms of aircraft they use. Ryanair *only* flies the 737NG. Easyjet *only* flies the A320 family.
Boeing 787 was around a decade from initial "what can we do" to entry into service - the Airbus A350XWB was a little more at 11 years.
Neither manufacturer has a clean sheet design in the pipeline right now, so we probably wont see a new widebody until at least the 2030s.
They already have one. Of course if the buyer is connected they can get it waived.
The point is, China is already fighting a trade war and has been for decades.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'