The article from Der Spiegel pointed out something interesting: with all the outsourcing Boeing did for component manufacturing, it should now be easier for new aircraft manufacturers to emerge, since they could use the same component suppliers Boeing does. So in their rush to increase profits as much as possible, they may have jeopardized their future market share. Basically killing the goose laying the golden eggs. I'm not familiar with the situation on the Airbus side, do they have similar levels of outsourcing?
From Der Spiegel:
And this all comes at a time when the Airbus-Boeing duopoly has been developing cracks. The two may still be the world's undisputed aerospace leaders, but companies in China, Russia and Japan are in the process of grabbing a bigger piece of the pie. Furthermore, it has become easier to build airplanes because a highly specialized global market of suppliers has developed that can deliver almost any part in the desired quality at the desired moment in time. The times when airplane construction was a calling card of unattainable technological excellence are coming to an end. Things are becoming more difficult, especially for Boeing.