In an interview before leaving for Seattle, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Alan Mulally gushed over the day’s strong endorsement from Udvar-Hazy.
Mulally also spoke about the next jet-development program just over the horizon — the 737 narrow-body replacement — but pointedly refused to be drawn into whether the Puget Sound region has an edge in winning final assembly of that jet.
ILFC ordered six 737 narrow-bodies, two large 777-300ER wide-bodies and two new 787 midsize wide-bodies. Udvar-Hazy said he’s also interested in the 747-8 jumbo jet in both freighter and passenger versions……
We are so early in the process that we haven’t had any discussions about the final assembly of a 737 replacement,” he said. “We have a great team on the 737 [at Renton]. They are doing tremendous work. It’ll be a number of years until the place where we get to the production plan.”
The Puget Sound region, Mulally added, must “continue to focus its competitiveness” to keep the next airplane.
In an interview at the Farnborough International Airshow, Mulally also talked in more detail about what will be the company’s next new jet after the 787 — a composite plane that will replace the popular 737. Although some airlines are eager for Boeing to develop this jet as soon as possible, Mulally said Boeing will take its time.
He repeated that a 737 replacement won’t be ready for airline service until at least 2012 and perhaps not before 2015.
Boeing is looking at replacing not only the 737, but also the 757, Mulally said. The single-aisle 757, no longer in production, carries more than 200 passengers.
“We have many opportunities,” Mulally said. Boeing is studying a family of planes that could seat from 90 to 230 passengers, he said.
“We are looking at what is the right family to fill in under the 787,” he said.
The 787-8, which will enter airline service in 2008, will seat around 230 passengers, depending on an airline’s configuration.
Boeing plans stretch versions that will carry 300 or more passengers.
Like the 787, the 737 replacement will have a composite airframe, now the “material of choice” for airplane design, Mulally said.
“Composites don’t corrode, don’t fatigue and are more reliable and easier to maintain,” Mulally said. “This has been our goal and dream.”
Composites also allow a greatly simplified manufacturing process, he said. And that can significantly drive down costs.
With the 787, the first commercial jetliner with a composite fuselage and wing, Boeing is introducing a new way of making jets.
Large one-piece composite sections of the plane will be manufactured elsewhere and then taken to Everett for final assembly in only a few days.
That manufacturing method will become even more efficient by the time Boeing is ready to build the 737 replacement, Mulally said.
“The goal is to get the fewest number of parts that fit together accurately, and then final assembly takes the least amount of time and has the highest quality,” Mulally said.
“To replace the most efficient plane in the world, the 737, we need to improve its fuel burn, maintenance costs, weight and manufacturing costs,” Mulally said, which will translate into savings for airlines.
“It takes time to do that,” Mulally noted.
Boeing’s view that there is no need to rush was supported by one of its most important customers, Steven Udvar-Hazy of International Lease Finance Corp.
Appearing with Mulally at an air show news conference Wednesday, where Hazy announced that ILFC will order more 777s, 787s and 737s, Hazy said Boeing needs to take its time and develop the right 737 replacement.
Hazy disclosed that he and Mulally have had several meetings to discuss what kind of plane airlines will need in the next five to 15 years.
It was Hazy who told an industry conference in Florida earlier this year that Airbus needed to rethink its planned A350 to make the plane more competitive with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/278165_mulally20.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003138947_airshow20.html
By: bring_it_on - 20th July 2006 at 15:41
I think it would depend upon the situation that exists between the next few years and 2015 , If the cost of aviation fuel remains high (or worst becomes higher) and the technologies and manufactering techniques proove themselves with the 787 and A350X then we’d see it sooner rather then later. Both A and B are dictated by Airline demand therefore if things get more expensive then the new liner would look ever incresingly better and the airlines would push for that .
By: US Agent - 20th July 2006 at 15:27
2015 seems about right…although, I could even see moving it out to 2020.
By: bring_it_on - 20th July 2006 at 13:30
Come to think of it for boeing as well as for Airbus this aircraft would be the one that matters as this size and market (single aisle) is their bread and butter . I feel that in addition to the modern composites , fly by wire and other effecient engines there would something other that would be first introduced with these jets . For one I would want better and more comfortable seating and enviroment. I agree that wider and larger airframes are more costly interms of drag and effeceincy but they have to somehow make it more economical so that more space can be provided. The industry looks at the airlines to get a hang of whats needed however for the passenger the three things that are most important are (in no particular order)
1) Cost of ticket
2) comfort
3)time
They have done well to adress most of these issues but the time and as we’ll soon see that high speed economical travel wont be available atleast with this generation of passenger liners.
By: lukeylad - 20th July 2006 at 12:42
Interesting. You’re not the only one to be guilty of this – but do we really need such long articles posted in their entirety?
Regards Phil
You never know the link might not work.
Interesting article there.
If you think about the Boeing 737-200 has lasted 40 years or so The NGs could also last that long good too see boeing looking to the future.
By: LBARULES - 20th July 2006 at 12:36
Can’t see a problem posting the article myself, especially as the member put a link to the source. As he says, you have a choice whether to read it or not.
Any 737 replacement is sure going to be a hard act to follow! I’m sure Boeing will pull it off though.
By: philgatwick05 - 20th July 2006 at 12:00
Actually i didnt post the entire article only the part that is relevant to the 737.. The members have a choice not to read this!
Just a thought!
By: bring_it_on - 20th July 2006 at 11:57
Interesting. You’re not the only one to be guilty of this – but do we really need such long articles posted in their entirety?
Regards Phil
Actually i didnt post the entire article only the part that is relevant to the 737.. The members have a choice not to read this!
By: philgatwick05 - 20th July 2006 at 11:40
Interesting. You’re not the only one to be guilty of this – but do we really need such long articles posted in their entirety?
Regards Phil
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July 20, 2006 at 10:25 am