Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing

by Peter Robison

Conceived in haste to avoid losing market share, the MAX ended up putting Boeing into the deepest hole in its history. The American export champion delivered 157 planes in 2020 compared to 566 for Airbus. Even by one of its own design ambitions—avoiding simulator training—the MAX was a failure. Pilots transitioning from the previous 737 will now need to train in a simulator, a welcome requirement for safety but one that will hamper its commercial prospects. Boeing faces competition from not just Airbus but also an emboldened aircraft maker from China, Comac, whose government by midyear had yet to unground the MAX. Meant to cost $2.5 billion—a simple derivative of a model updated a dozen times since the 1960s—the MAX easily exceeded the $20 billion Boeing might have spent on an all-new program. The direct cost was $21 billion, including compensation to customers, aircraft storage, pilot training, and settlements to the families.