"The Boeing Book"

This time of year there is a great pondering for all Air Geeks about how any year like 2018 will shake out? How many orders will Boeing book for the year 2018? A whole journal published on a weekly basis could be devoted to this topic. In fact, each weekly publication could have an Order or new model rumor section. It could have an editorial section on pending orders not yet in play and as a strong possibility of what happened. It also could have a standing order book that would report everything happening last month and YTD orders much like Boeing's own website has tried to but has miserably failed at really informing its Av-geeks of what's really happening. It's really confusing on how it tally's what is really going on in its industry and it shows.

A real book cover below, on the subject.

I have a hard time ciphering with any degree of accuracy how it arrives at its real orders and deliveries during any part of the year but using only a brief subtotal from each quarterly report or a final annual report for a given time period, there is some relief on the subject matter. Yes, there is never a clear answer and that should be left for the professional guessers, the journalist but certainly not blogging!

A case in point is the massive speculation on what December will report from its monthly activity. Already the press reported 150 single-aisle orders from two customers, flyadeal and Green Africa (30/20 and 50/50 respectively-orders/options). Lion Air is claiming a withdrawal from the Boeing order book, amounting to about $22 billion in total. The aircraft number is for about 200 single-aisle not yet delivered but has ordered from Boeing.

The weekly article could summarize quickly if this is a repositioning its liabilities in face of pending lawsuits over the Lion Air Max crash, which so tragically claimed 189 lives just after take-off. 

It could be claimed by Boeing, Lion Air didn't fix a known problem with that one aircraft before take-off and Lion Air failed to fix it or officially instruct its pilot on how to cope with an existing failure experienced from its Boeing systems on this "one 737 Max 8 from previous flights of this model type. Lion Air who has more to lose than Boeing from this terrible incident, as even one lawsuit will take Lion Air out of business, is vengeful against Boeing. It is in a corner and fighting like a wild animal for survival. 

However, Boeing is at stake for almost 5,000 Max sold by Year's end, 2018. That is a whole feature article that should have been discussed by some journalist during December.

Another big article ticket item is the pending or hanging order situation. Emirates ordered 40 787-10 but nothing has been finalized for that extremely large order, as its right to not announce until a much later date. 

However, a good beat reporter might find out the status of this LOI for 40 787-10's. That in itself is a major article fleshed out of the woodwork from a leased building near Puget Sound. There are many more hanging orders stories ready for plucking off from the journalistic low hanging fruit tree.

What about China? It is a weekly section devoted to what's up with China? Boeing is opening a final checkout and assembly center in a quid pro quo move with China for selling more aircraft to this merging giant having a population well north of one billion people. Boeing must counter Airbus and Comac within the region for China's wealthy aviation aspirations. Once again, China's lo hang fruit changes on a weekly basis. 

Finally, why a Boeing journal focused just on Boeing? It's a lynchpin for the world's economy that's why! As Boeing goes so does the world's aviation market go. 

Another feature would define its deal with Embraer and how it parries an Airbus thrust with its Canada's/Bombardier CS300 offering. The macro view of Boeing strategy is one giant chess game out maneuvering moves made by others like Airbus and Bombardier. The Embraer deal is more significant than just another merger. It defines how Boeing is in it to win it strategy. There is a big "independent" reporting hole with aviation reporting needing a counterbalance from Boeing's own selective confusion on its website and the world's idled scatter reporting on the subject. The press is selling space for advertisers as all self-respecting press centers do at the pleasure of Google searching for its readers.

A weekly Boeing journal would plug all gaps from reporting and aviation thinking providing a true analysis for what is happening in aviation's world with a Boeing emphasis to the subject.


Just saying, a weekly and independent "All Things Boeing" journal would be nice emerging during 2019 coming from the professionals.