Consolidation of the commercial airliner business has been happening since the first passenger-carrying biplanes rattled across the landscape. In the middle of the last century, there were dozens of viable manufacturers innovating and doing their best to cater to a rapidly evolving industry.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/boeing-sticks-its-foot-in-it