Richard Aboulafia is the latest to note that there is some very odd stuff in the former Boeing 787 programme head's recent speech. Like me, he wonders quite what is the thinking behind retreating from a global supplier base and why you'd want to publicly beat up on the people who are going to build your aircraft for the forseeable future.
Aboulafia also makes the point that Bair's concept for the future looks remarkably like the current Airbus set-up. Of all the many traumas to afflict Airbus over the past couple of years, its physical supply network has not given cause for concern, and in fact has grown increasingly robust over time. (Although in fairness of course the A380 introduces radical maritime and road aspects that have yet to be truly proven.)
Boeing is still being ambiguous about the status of Bair's comments leading to speculation that he may have been pursuing a personal agenda related to his removal as program head. But at some point they're going to have make clear whether his views are widely shared in management or not.
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