The Boeing 737 Max crisis
Development: why did Boeing develop the B737 MAX aircraft?
Before Airbus’ establishment, there were few aircraft manufacturers in the US and Europe . Boeing’s most significant competitors were Douglas Aircraft Company (1921) 16 and the McDonnell Aircraft Cooperation (1939), 17 which later merged as McDonnell Douglas in 1967 , 18 before merging with Boeing in 1997. 19 However, after Airbus’ involvement in commercial aircraft back in 1967, 20 it then became Boeing’s fiercest rival for the next 50 years. Airbus has gradually expanded, becoming one of the largest aircraft ma nufacturers. Despite Airbus’ brief history, it managed to surpass Boeing in the number of aircraft delivered in 2003, 21 and in between 2019 and 2021, Airbus received a total of 1,543 orders, while Boeing suffered from not only the global pandemic, but also the Boeing 737 MAX scandals, leading to a total of 634 orders. 22 It has been predicted that Boeing and Airbus will dominate 88% of the market share of single-aisle aircraft between 2016 and 2035, in which 45% are occupied by Airbus, and the remaining 43% are Boeing’s. 23 Airbus’ signature single -aisle aircraft – the A320 family – launched in 1984, 24 has already accumulated 16,755 orders, and 10,435 deliveries over a period of 38 years (1984- 2022). 25 Meanwhile, the B737 family only received 17,485 orders and 10,815 deliveries over a period of 56 years (from 1965 to 2021). 26
Figure 4: A320 family and B737 family Order History (Green: A320, Blue: B737)
One major attraction of the A320 family aircraft was Airbus’ speciality – the Fly-by-wire (FBW) System. ‘ The FBW systems are semi-automatic, computer-regulated aircraft flight control systems that replace mechanical flight controls with an electronic interface. ’ 27 On the other hand, Boeing still uses mechanical controls (i.e. using cables and pulleys to move control surfaces) on all of their B737 aircraft. Not only did the FBW system reduce aircraft weight, but it also improved flight safety by minimizing pilot errors. Typically, an A320 aircraft, featuring a sidestick in the cockpit, as opposed to a full mechanical control yoke on the B737 aircraft, 16 The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica 2020, McDonnel Douglas Corporation . 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 Frost 2020, The 1997 merger that paved the way for the Boeing 737 Max crisis . 20 Airbus [n.d.], Early days (1967) . 21 Wikipedia 2022, Competition between Airbus and Boeing . 22 Ibid. 23 Morris 2016, Flight Fleet Forecast’s single -aisle outlook 2016-2035 . 24 Modern Airliners [n.d.], Airbus A320 History – How Airbus successfully filled the short haul airliner market . 25 Airbus [n.d.], Commercial Aircraft Figures . Figure 5: Difference between Mechanical and Electrical Flight Control
26 Brady 2021, The Boeing 737 Technical Guide, 83 rd ed : 9. 27 BAE Systems [n.d.], What are fly-by-wire systems?
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