4 ms·

I think the problem is not that Boeing is too big to fail, it's the massive cost of designing, certifying and efficiently building a new airframe, which makes i

I think the problem is not that Boeing is too big to fail, it's the massive cost of designing, certifying and efficiently building a new airframe, which makes it hard for a competitor to emerge. The US doesn't really have another basket to put eggs into.

dotnet00 3y ago
Except that they have had issues with other things as well. Over on the space side, their Starliner crew capsule has had several safety debacles over the past 4 years, such that maybe it'll finally carry crew this year. First it was poorly tested software, then stuck valves, then the tape they wrapped certain wires in to make them more fire resistant turned out to not work, and then finally after all that testing, their parachute system had issues. Boeing has had cultural issues for a while now, part of their rocketry division was forced to be spun out (by the government) with Lockmart's into ULA because Boeing was caught conducting espionage on Lockmart, which would've potentially disqualified them from bidding on launches. They had also had information leaked to them about bidding on the Artemis lunar lander contracts. Plus other incidents like trying to get people at ULA proposing things like orbital refueling systems fired because if they allowed such technology to emerge, Boeing couldn't get blank checks from the government for building near-useless rockets. That last one, in my opinion, making it clear that they're exploiting the perception that they're too big to fail.
gmerc 3y ago
Why is Airbus not falling out of the sky?
- giva 3y ago
  They do, the just need more effort: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447
  - thelastgallon 3y ago
    "Air France and Airbus have been investigated for manslaughter since 2011, but in 2019, prosecutors recommended dropping the case against Airbus and charging Air France with manslaughter and negligence, concluding, "the airline was aware of technical problems with a key airspeed monitoring instrument on its planes but failed to train pilots to resolve them"
  - kayodelycaon 3y ago
    Not a great example. Any plane would have crashed with the pilots doing what they did. Most planes don't do well when you try to climb them out of a stall. (Climb out, not power out.)

dotnet00 3y ago

Except that they have had issues with other things as well. Over on the space side, their Starliner crew capsule has had several safety debacles over the past 4 years, such that maybe it'll finally carry crew this year. First it was poorly tested software, then stuck valves, then the tape they wrapped certain wires in to make them more fire resistant turned out to not work, and then finally after all that testing, their parachute system had issues. Boeing has had cultural issues for a while now, part of their rocketry division was forced to be spun out (by the government) with Lockmart's into ULA because Boeing was caught conducting espionage on Lockmart, which would've potentially disqualified them from bidding on launches. They had also had information leaked to them about bidding on the Artemis lunar lander contracts. Plus other incidents like trying to get people at ULA proposing things like orbital refueling systems fired because if they allowed such technology to emerge, Boeing couldn't get blank checks from the government for building near-useless rockets. That last one, in my opinion, making it clear that they're exploiting the perception that they're too big to fail.

gmerc 3y ago

Why is Airbus not falling out of the sky?

giva 3y ago
They do, the just need more effort: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447
- thelastgallon 3y ago
  "Air France and Airbus have been investigated for manslaughter since 2011, but in 2019, prosecutors recommended dropping the case against Airbus and charging Air France with manslaughter and negligence, concluding, "the airline was aware of technical problems with a key airspeed monitoring instrument on its planes but failed to train pilots to resolve them"
- kayodelycaon 3y ago
  Not a great example. Any plane would have crashed with the pilots doing what they did. Most planes don't do well when you try to climb them out of a stall. (Climb out, not power out.)