Crosscut has this interesting piece today on Boeing and its McDonnell Douglas past/future.
“It is time to say out loud what we local airplane dorks have been thinking for years. Boeing has finally, irrefutably become the thing that we loathed and found most pitiable in our youth: McDonnell Douglas. …
The old Boeing embodied stout Northwest qualities. The company was strong, capable, and above all else relied on technical achievement as the ultimate arena of success or failure.”
I know many readers have expressed concerns over the McDonnell Douglas mentality still at work within Boeing. And this piece, which quotes analyst Richard Aboulafia, explores the McDonnell influence on Boeing today in light of the company’s embarrassing 787 and 747-8 delays.
Word of warning to the reader: The Crosscut piece doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Boeing’s future here in Washington state.
“The most realistic thing for all of us fans of the Old Boeing to do is use a new filter when evaluating anything Boeing does or says it will do: “What would McDonnell Douglas do?” Will McBoeing try to move as much production as possible to union-free South Carolina? Of course it will. Will McBoeing attempt to extract as many concessions as possible from local and state governments under the ruse of keeping jobs here in the Northwest? Of course it will. Will those concession do anything to change the outcome? Of course not.”
Also today, Moody’s lowered Boeing’s ratings outlook to “negative” from “stable” based on the company’s 787 troubles, writes the Associated Press.
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