Attached is an article about the Dreamliner and the current repair required on the Ethiopian airlines jet that caught fire.

Attached is an article about the Dreamliner and the current repair required on the Ethiopian airlines jet that caught fire. Any thoughts? http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/business/boeings-787-poses-new-challenges-for-repair-teams.html?partner=yahoofinance&

Seems like Dreamliner incidents are a hot topic.

They are only teething problems for a fairly new airecraft, think about the problems that the A330 had, or the A380, even the 777 had teething problems, so even though it's getting some bad press now, it won't last, and I have absolute confidence in the 787 for its future years of service with airlines around the world!

That may be the case but I still find it interesting that SQ has chosen not to be a launch customer for the first 787. As a nation, and by extension an airline, Singapore does planning very well. It speaks volumes that the first version of the 787 is not part of SQ's capital planning.

The bigger challenge here is the fate of Boeing if the 787 does not do as well as expected. The airline industry needs decent competition - I don't believe there is appetite for Chinese aircraft makers to fill the void in the event of the collapse of Boeing.

There is a strategic imperative with much positive externalities if the US government commits to support Boeing. For a start it will allow for a level playing field with Airbus, where EU funding has been instrumental.