Boeing 737 crash: How 'the eagle of the sky' fell to the ground

The crash of a China Eastern passenger jet flying from Kunming to Guangzhou carrying 132 people on Monday has put flight safety in the spotlight once again.

In wake of China's first air crash in 12 years, China Eastern announced it would ground all Boeing 737-800 jets, while it has been placed under 'enhanced surveillance' in India.

Analysts are of the opinion that the incident is a huge setback for the American jet manufacturer, which was only just bouncing back after the aftermath of the 737-MAX crashes and resultant groundings in 2018.

Also Read | What we know about the China Eastern plane crash

Boeing has been struggling for over the past decade and a half, with French rival Airbus' jets emerging as the most preferred choice among carriers.

The graph below illustrates Boeing's decline and Airbus' rise.

In the 15 year period from 2006 to 2020, Boeing managed to outsell Airbus only once – in 2018.

Boeing, once king of the skies, lost its market share in the commercial jet space as it had remained bullish about the 737 NG (Next Generation) family of planes. It chose not to spend time and resources in designing a new passenger plane and first began to trail Airbus after the introduction of the A320 line of jets in the early 2000s,

The introduction of the more fuel-efficient A320neo in 2010 forced Boeing to introduce a rival – 737 MAX – based on the existing 737 fleet.

However, the MAX was deemed unsafe and subsequently grounded after two fatal crashes in 2018 (Lion Air) and 2019 (Ethiopian Air). Its grounding order by multiple aviation authorities was only lifted in late 2020 and through 2021.

While orders for the MAX were either cancelled or came to a standstill, delayed deliveries of its flagship model, the 787 Dreamliner, did not help either.

The China Eastern crash spells trouble for Boeing in China, which is its second-biggest market. The world's most populous nation is home to nearly 1,200 Boeing 737-800s and a grounding order by the civil aviation regulatory body in Beijing, though unlikely according to experts, would be a massive blow to Boeing.

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