Boeing presses its advantage

By Thomas Lifson

While Airbus remains mired in difficulties created by its A380 super jumbo jet production difficulties and the need to develop a competitor for Boeing's next generation airliner, the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing is letting the world know it is pressing ahead. The Times of London reports:

Boeing is trying to push its advantage over Airbus, its ailing rival, with an all-new design for the biggest sector in the world's aircraft industry.

The Seattle jet maker has started negotiations with global airlines over the future design of the Boeing 737 as it seeks to dominate the $1,000 billion (£515 billion) market for the workhorse of the skies in future decades.

Jim McNerney, Boeing's chairman and chief executive, confirmed last week that talks are taking place with airline customers on what they want from a revamped 737. [....]

Mr McNerney has also confirmed that the new 737, which will appear in the middle of the next decade, is likely to have a carbon fibre fuselage to make it more fuel-efficient and more environmentally friendly.

Boeing has updated the 40 year old 737 design several times, and it now comes in several sizes, including long range models capable of intercontinental travel, something Airbus' rival craft, the A320 family, cannot do.

Right now, the A320 is the only really bright spot in Airbus' product lineup, and profits from the A320 will have to finance Airbus until it can begin to deliver and eventually perhaps make a profit on the A380. In the meantime, Airbus must concentrate its resources on playing catch-up to Boeing in the large and lucrative medium twin aisle market with carbon fiber fuselages. So it is unlikely Airbus will be able to expend many financial or technological resources on a competitor for the newply planned Boeing smaller jetliner.

If Boeing delivers the 737 replacement in the middle of the next decade, that would be approximately the same time as Airbus introduces its rival for the 787, the A350 XWB.

Once again, this demonstrates the folly of Airbus in pursuing the grandiose dream of producing the world's largest airliner.