Insight: Boeing is fighting multiple battles

Boeing is fighting multiple battles on competitive, regulatory, political, legal, media, and internal issues across almost all of its product lines. Let’s examine some of the battles the company is currently fighting, and how they might impact the near-term and long-term future of the company.

COMPETITIVE BATTLES

Boeing and Airbus have been in an effective duopoly in the commercial market for the last 24 years since Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas. While that is likely to change in the future as COMAC introduces the C919 in China, the current duopoly continues today. The battle Boeing is fighting with Airbus has both product and political elements. On the latter front, Airbus and Boeing have reached a truce with respect to multiple World Trade Organization disputes being settled between the parties. With the WTO disputes off the table, the competition focuses on products and pricing.