> Boeing received orders for only four new planes in May
> The results released Tuesday compared unfavorably with Europe's Airbus, which reported net orders for 15 planes in May — 27 sales but 12 cancellations.
Three new orders in April, three in May. Isn't that about 10% of what they need? Boeing has an image problem, ok, but that sounds like a serious case of customers reducing their exposure.
Boeing should forget about the 737 Max and return to what they have been doing very well over the past couple of decades - buying back their stock and raising executive compensation.
If Boeing went and delivered all of those planes in the next year or two it would be a disaster for the airline industry. There are so many orders only because airlines are planning out for a decade or more and are slotting in replacements for when they project their current airframes to age out.
The airliner industry is overdue for a disruption at this point. Corporate consolidation has left too few players to get proper competition. Unfortunately the airliner industry is so heavily regulated that even a crazy billionaire would have a tough time breaking in.
Self regulation is no regulation at all.
In Italy we have an expression for when you ask about the quality of the product to the very same person that sells it:
How's the wine, innkeeper? Fine!
The key point is that someone else besides the manufacturer must hold the key for final approval. And they mustn't be governed by an incentive structure specifically tooled to induce rubber stamping. Which is exactly what self-emfprcement by the manufacturer incentivizes.
