Boeing is planning a new single-aisle aircraft, the 797, to succeed the 737 MAX, according to The Wall Street Journal, in what could be a shift for the company that has prioritized fixing its quality issues over new aircraft development.
The aircraft will be called the 797.
Its CEO Kelly Ortberg met with Rolls-Royce officials earlier this year in the UK, where they discussed a new engine for the aircraft, according to two sources cited in the report.
Boeing has also been designing the flight deck of a new narrow-body plane.
Ortberg appointed a new senior product chief in the commercial plane business, whose prior role was developing a new aircraft.
Ortberg reportedly heard Rolls-Royce’s pitch for an engine that could offer a 10% jump in fuel efficiency compared with Airbus A320neo engines.
Boeing had been planning to replace the 737NG in 2010 with an aircraft dubbed the Y1 but opted to upgrade the 737NG into the MAX.
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