It sounds like Boeing is working on developing its first new “clean sheet” commercial aircraft type in over two decades. I’m not sure if that’s refreshing to see and shows that Boeing is trying to innovate, or is just plain confusing, given the aircraft it’s replacing.
Boeing in early stages of new narrow body plane design
Designing a new aircraft from scratch is a process that can take well over a decade, so any innovation in the future needs to start with a new design now.
Up until now, we’ve repeatedly been told by Boeing executives that the aerospace giant isn’t working on a new commercial aircraft type, and is instead putting all of its efforts into the existing product lines. After all, the company has had its fair share of struggles, between the 737 MAX, 777X, and 787 Dreamliner.
However, it appears that strategy is starting to shift. The Wall Street Journal reports that Boeing is in the very early stages of designing a new single-aisle airplane, which could succeed the 737 MAX, according to people familiar with the matter. This would obviously be part of a long term bid to recover business lost to rival Airbus in recent times.
Earlier this year, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg reportedly met with officials from Rolls-Royce, where they discussed a new engine for the aircraft. Ortberg also recently appointed a new senior product chief in the commercial planes business, whose prior role was developing a new aircraft type. Boeing has also been working on designing the flight deck of a new narrow body aircraft, according to people familiar with the plans.
Again, let me emphasize that this new aircraft type is just in the early stages of development, and plans are still taking shape. Still, clearly, this reflects that the company is starting to seriously look at designing a new aircraft type. It also directly conflicts what we were told in 2022 by former Boeing CEO David Calhoun, who claimed that Boeing wouldn’t work on a clean sheet aircraft this decade.
My take on Boeing designing a future 737 replacement
We knew that eventually Boeing would have to start designing a new aircraft, given how far in advance development has to start. If Boeing has any chance of having a new aircraft type flying in the 2030s, that project needs to start now.
Admittedly investors are torn on these kinds of efforts. On the one hand, these kinds of investments are needed to stay competitive. On the other hand, this is another expense that won’t lead to any revenue for well over a decade, most likely, and Boeing doesn’t have a great track record lately when it comes to getting new planes flying.
I think what surprises me most about this announcement is the type of plane that Boeing is reportedly developing. It sounds like Boeing’s focus is on a pretty direct 737 replacement. In fairness, the jet’s design is pretty outdated at this point, as 737 development began in 1964.
Part of the reason the 737 MAX has been such a mess is because Boeing just kept pushing the limits of a reliable but outdated aircraft, rather than starting from scratch.
What the company is working on here doesn’t appear to be the “Boeing 797,” as it has been unofficially called, which would be a new midsize aircraft, intended to fill the gap between the 737 and 787, essentially something like a 757 or 767. That has been rumored for a long time, but it seems it’s not in the cards for now either.
There’s a certain irony to working on a 737 replacement when two of the four 737 MAX variants haven’t even been certified yet. What exactly would a fresh 737 replacement look like? I imagine it wouldn’t be about added capacity (since the 737 MAX 7 to 737 MAX 10 offers quite some flexibility), so would it be about range and operating costs? Only time will tell…
Bottom line
Boeing is reportedly in the very early stages of developing a new aircraft type, which would be the first new aircraft concept from Boeing since design of the 787 started in 2003. What’s interesting is that the intent is to create a new aircraft that replaces the 737, rather than the midsize “Boeing 797” concept that has been rumored for a long time.
We’ll see how this all works out — I doubt we’ll hear a lot more about this for some time — but it should get interesting.
What do you make of Boeing working on designing a new aircraft?
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