Old Boeing and Airbus workhorses going strong.
Discuss Old Boeing and Airbus workhorses going strong, on the Open Discussion forum of FrequentFlyer.com.au, the home of frequent flyers.
Welcome to Australia's leading independent Frequent Flyers resource! We hope you find the information useful and decide to join our online community. Its free to join, simply click on the register link. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Old Boeing and Airbus workhorses going strong
Geoffrey Thomas
July 21, 2006
WHILE all the hype in the industry today surrounds the giant A380 and the hi-tech 787, the next battle between Boeing and Airbus will be over a replacement for the world's best-selling aircraft - the 737 and A320.
And there are many who ask: Why replace these 150-210 seat airline workhorses?
The 737 may date back to 1966 but Boeing has twice undertaken major upgrades to the aircraft engines and cockpit systems. The A320 dates to the early 1980s.
With Boeing's lead in composites on the 787, it had been assumed that the technology transfer to the 737 replacement would give them an edge in finding that magical breakthrough to make the investment case.
But it's not that simple, according to Boeing vice-president marketing Randy Baseler.