I am seeing more and more articles (including European for the first time) that are recognizing what a debacle Airbus put itself into with the A380.
Instead of concentrating on the core business (small and mid sized jets) they launched themselves into the bigger stuff (A340 and A380).
The A340 and the 777 class aircraft are obviously viable markets for Airbus (and a logical move up), but they went about it wrong, trying to leverage an existing airframe instead of all new.
That gave Boeing their first shot at recovery with the 777, as they had a clear target to beat, and more importantly, a way to do it (two engine and an advanced if conventional airframe).
Then Airbus let their inferiority complex loose. And I say that advisably, it is a self imposed inferiority complex, as they did have superior products to offer. Just not the biggest, and who cares if you are successful.
That gave Boeing the clear opening to stick the knife in, if Boeing could get their act together. And Boeing was quietly doing just that. Allan Mulalay is not only a good engineer, but he has been extremely successful with his programs. They took all they had done, including the so called failed Sonic Cruiser, and used all the expertise and development to come out with a true killer product.
That puts them in the drivers seat, and they are going to stay there for a long time.
The 787 is just the start, the 737 replacement will be next, and that will come while Airbus is still struggling trying to compete a conventional fuselage against the 787, and Boeing has the Y3 project on the burner to, so they have an answer if and when Airbus challenges the 777 (maybe with the A350 at the lower end or the rumored A370). In either case Boeing can match them if they go composites, or they will simply beat them if they stay with conventional.
And once you get behind and loose market share, then a me to aircraft (let alone an inferior product) will never catch up. It has to be superior, and unless they really let the designer dogs loose, and come up with a radical airframe style and composites, it won’t happen.
Boeing in the meantime gets experience with the composites on the 787 (4 major models) and the 737 replamcent and they will be ahead of Airbus for the next 30 years.
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