Originally Posted by
iahflyr
The only reason Boeing is in business is because they produce airplanes that their customers want and choose to buy. Otherwise Boeing wouldn’t be in business.
What do airlines want? The cheapest airplane that can safely accomplish the mission, commonality for crew training, and commonality for maintenance. That translates to a stretch of a current airplane (lower development costs, no additional crew training, and extremely little maintenance changes).
If airlines wanted to pay more money for a clean sheet design airplane with the performance of a 757, Boeing would build it. But airlines do not want that. Airlines want an airplane that can haul 200 pax from coast to coast as cheaply as possible.
Boeing is only in business because they produce jets that their customers want. The airlines are asking for the Max. Next time you get mad about the Max 10, blame United and the other customers (Southwest) for what they are asking Boeing to create.
Boeing was also lazy and picked all the low fruit so to speak. Yes the airlines will like anything “economical” but, that doesn’t mean it’s the best product or the safest. It’s time for a clean sheet aircraft, built by engineers and not C suit managers. I hope this abomination of a plane never sees the light of day.