I'm sure Boeing understand they have to pick their battles and this appears to be one of them they need to pick. They don't have an answer for the C series and aren't likely to have one in the near term. The NG isn't it and I think they've finally realized that as well. Their best customers (with pricey backlogs of aircraft) are falling into hard times. That could put into peril their delivery of previously ordered 777s, which must be a serious financial concern for them.
Although the Middle East accounted for 10% of air traffic last year—much less than North America, Asia or Europe—its carriers make up 27% of the combined widebody backlog of Airbus and Boeing. To drill down further, the region has an even larger proportion of the backlog for what are Airbus’s and Boeing’s more exposed programs: the Airbus 380 and Boeing 777-300. Nearly 50% of the A380 backlog is from Middle Eastern airlines, most notably Emirates, which has already moved to defer six of its A380 deliveries into 2018. Airbus also was unable to convert Iranian interest in the A380 into an actual order. As a result of the Emirates deferral, Airbus is likely to lose money on the A380 program this year.
The 777-300 backlog has a broader customer base, but there are still delivery slots to be filled before the program makes way for the 777X. The Middle Eastern carriers comprise 32% of the 777-300 backlog. Aside from the Turkish deferrals, we have not seen any Middle Eastern 777 push-outs, but that remains a possibility. Longer term, Middle Eastern airlines are also critical to Boeing’s plans for the 777X. This stretched version of the 777 is due to enter service in late 2019, and the Big Three make up 77% of its 235 orders.
- Aviation Week
Boeing has to do what it has to do because, business is business. Let's not pretend Boeing is the only one with scruples in all this.
Willie