Boeing is the industry leader in commercial and military aircraft manufacturing. They have been successful since the introduction of their first airliner, the 707, in 1958. Currently, Boeing is currently encountering problems with its latest aircraft-manufacturing project, the 777. The aircraft was developed to compete with Airbus' two new wide body model airliners, the A330 and A340.
Boeing first began producing military aircraft in the 1920's and 1930's. World War II also saw Boeing bombers in action. It later turned to commercial airliners and has benefited from that area. For the new 777 project, Boeing was required to meet FAA standards and carriers had to receive proper certification for flying the two-engine 777 over long water routes. The airline industry is strongly affected by economic instability. In the late 1960's early 1970's Boeing was struggling with escalating cost, sever cash shortages, and production inefficiencies due to order cutbacks that resulted from the deep recession. Technology has a strong impact on the industry and is very important to stay ahead of the game. New development of metallic and nonmetallic composite materials has improved the process of improving airframe and engine performance. Electronic advancements are in play with revolutionized avionics and the increasing use of semiconductors by aircraft manufacturers. Semiconductors allow manufacturers to miniaturize cockpit instruments and enhance onboard computer and communication instrumentation. Finally, computer technology is a major player in the new design processes used by the industry. As you will see later in this analysis, Boeing will implement a new system, which may not be as efficient as thought.
The aircraft manufacturing industry is a very costly busi ...