Business Insight Zone

Boeing has been eating up Airbus, and if this report from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is right . . .

Boeing to score big 787 order in Paris:
Major Airbus customer to take up to 50 planes

. . . things may get worse before they get better. Airbus has had three different CEOs in the past two years, and has struggled with many delays for both the mammoth A380 jetliner and its smaller cousin the A350 — which is the plane that’s trying, and so far often failing, to compete with Boeing’s popular 787 “Dreamliner.” Boeing has also seen robust business for its cargo planes, including the 747 “Dreamlifter.” After a couple of lean-ish years in 2002 and 2003, Boeing has also brought its profit margins back into the 4% range, while boosting its annual revenue above $60 billion.

Airbus has deep resources, including partial ownership by the French and Spanish governments, and it’s not going to go away anytime soon. But it will be interesting to see what sort of a lead Boeing might be able to build while loyal Airbus customers wait . . . and wait . . . and wait for the A350 to debut.