Corbis via Getty ImagesThis week’s United Airlines order for 50 A321XLRs underscores a big problem for Boeing: it has a serious disadvantage in the middle market. This middle segment – basically jets with 190 to 250 seats and 4,000- to 5,000-nautical-mile range – is the only really healthy part of the market. The long-term strength of this middle market means that Boeing needs to take this segment very seriously. Given the MAX disaster, it’s understandable that Boeing management has been distracted from middle market product development. One alternative would be a Future Small Aircraft (FSA), a clean-sheet family of new single aisle jets beginning with the largest model.

Source: Forbes December 06, 2019 16:52 UTC