Boeing Co. may be moving to Washington, but right now it needs Washington to move.
Regulatory delays are bogging down the launch of a new jet model with an estimated $16 billion in potential orders, threatening the planemaker’s comeback in the critical market for midsize jets. With Airbus SE holding a lopsided sales lead, repairing relations with regulators and lawmakers is crucial for Boeing as it shifts headquarters to the nation’s capitol after two decades in Chicago.
Boeing’s 737 Max 10 is its next entrant to the hottest segment of the travel market: narrow-body jets that can haul 230 travelers across the country. But it is also among the first jets to undergo a more rigorous certification after Congress bolstered the Federal Aviation Administration’s authority in the aftermath of two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.
