JAL Has The Rest Of The Story Opting For Airbus.

The Rest of the story Link for full read

JAL abandon Boeing 787 ship late in the delivery of its relationship with Boeing. Not only did it raise eyebrows in Chicago but caught the Japanese government flat footed its administering aviation giants ANA and JAL  Since JAL went bankrupt the government went in a bailed them out. Also giving JAL premium landing slots over ANA. It special relationship pretty much froze JAL out of taking on an Airbus a giveaway order of its aircraft, where it had over the last 60 years purchased with Boeing.

Now comes the caveat, with ANA now stationed at second fiddle in the airport line up, JAL received special considerations for new slots as part of the recovery plan and then spends its money on Airbus after having a "special launch" reltionship with Boeing and Governental support in recovery of its financial failure. So JAL turns around and takes the Airbus Giveaway order of 31 A-350 right before its governments eyes and sends them an e-mail about it. Boeing not complaining, (rightly so) stands back and says whoah, what just happened hear with our feature launch customer, JAL? Launch customers treat its partners better than that assuming they had crossed all T's and dotted all the I's with JAL. Cold is the word used and cold is what happened. What is Boeing going to do when ANA takes a shot with Airbus in a few months, another 30 A350''s. What wrong with the 787, or is it a quick swing to diversify while no one is looking?  I believe JAL has taken a calculated move at many levels in the Boeing relationship. I also believe they are cold and becoming independent and want act like the Arab nations asw a purchasing cartel, and have and make choices. Message is received by all participants.

They will now go the twisted trail forward without launch customer privileges or government bailouts. They want to play hard ball, and now they will get fast balls, curves and a few knuckle-balls along the way from this point forward. The Boeing pitching squad will treat them kindly, but no special deals await Japan Airlines from this time forward. The trust has been broken as Boeing did not see it coming from a launch partner JAL, who threw them under the Orient Express Bus.

Please read the entire linked article above and form your own opinion