Originally Posted by
RangerNS
Airlines wanted fuel efficiency, range, timeliness, at a reasonable cost, etc. Boeing managed to provided those[1] by updating a 50 year old design.
Boeing managed to promise that, but so far has been unable to deliver. :-) In the meantime the 737 is getting closer to its best before date by the day. Comes a recession, 220 gets delivered, Boeing provided the airlines with a golden opportunity to bail out more or less free. (OK, in exchange for whatever penalties they would otherwise claim against Boeing.)