End clap for the fifth season of the Business Wars podcast series. At a time when Boeing is flying its large carrier, the 787 Dreamliner for the first time, Airbus is making a splash with its new A320neo. The American giant is forced to retaliate with the 737 Max: an improved version of its star plane, with bigger engines and new flight assistance software called MCAS. Time was running out for the manufacturer, especially since the 787 found itself grounded in 2013 after encountering technical problems.
Meanwhile, Airbus is driving the point home: sales of the A320neo are at their highest, with 4,500 orders for entry into service at the end of 2015… against only 1,500 for the 737 Max. Boeing does not admit defeat and sets up a drastic program to reduce costs and accelerate the construction of its single-aisle aircraft, despite doubts about its safety. If the entry into the scene of the 737 Max was a success in early 2018, everything collapsed for the American giant a few months later.
>> Listen to episode 6: Mayday
On October 29, 2018, Lion Air flight 610 crashed in the Java Sea, killing all passengers on board. Boeing’s MCAS software was quickly blamed, when in March 2019 a second fatal crash took place. The reaction of the aviation regulatory agencies was not long in coming: China, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and finally the United States decided to ban the 737 Max from flying. It is a real descent into hell for Boeing, which is losing value of $ 50 billion. The giant is at an impasse … but if everything seems to have been won for Airbus, the world of aeronautics can hold many surprises.
>> Listen to the first episode: It gives you wings!
>> Listen to the second episode: Ready for take off!
>> Listen to the third episode: The hijackers
>> Listen again to the fourth episode: An alliance against nature
>> Listen to the fifth episode: We’re losing altitude
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