The politics of airplane production: The emergence of two technological frames in the competition between Boeing and Airbus

Economic models of technological innovation, as well as modern sociological approaches to the study of organizations, predict that two-actor markets will eventually evolve into one dominant technological logic. Why is it, then, that the only two global manufacturers of large commercial airplanes have developed diametrically opposed technological philosophies? Based on secondary historical sources, this article employs a theory of two-party democracies from political science and the theory of sociotechnical frames to explain why Boeing pilots are allowed ultimate command of their aircraft whereas Airbus confers this authority to the flight computer.