A report that Boeing is planning to build a clean-sheet design single-aisle aircraft to replace the 737, an aircraft platform first created in the 1960s, isn’t a surprise, but it does mark a milestone for the company’s recovery.
Chief executive officer Kelly Ortberg, an engineer who led aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins, has an opportunity to restore Boeing’s standard of excellence for designing commercial aircraft. That standard has sunk to a new low after the 737 Max fiasco. Boeing is still struggling to certify the Max 7 and Max 10 versions of the aircraft as well as the new model of the wide-body 777.
The 737 has become a workhorse for airlines across the world.Credit: Bloomberg
The Max version had pushed the limits of the original 737 design, which has become a workhorse aircraft for many airlines. It’s easy to spot a 737 Max on the tarmac because of the engines, which have a distinct elliptical shape at the bottom and are mounted higher and farther forward on the wing. This design contortion was done to accommodate the more powerful engines under the 737s low-slung wings. This design quirk required the software fix known as Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, which resulted in two fatal crashes.
Now, Boeing is in early stages of developing a new aircraft, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Aircraft design can take a decade and cost billions of dollars, so the resource commitment to the project will build over time. Boeing needs a new plane to take on the Airbus SE A320 family of aircraft, which has been gobbling up market share and offers a version with more seating capacity that the current 737s. Boeing can’t stumble on this investment project, and it should take priority over any returns to shareholders.
Once Boeing clears away the pending certifications of the 737 Max versions and 777X aircraft, its engineering teams will be freed up to concentrate on the aircraft design. There’s an opportunity to leapfrog Airbus with an aircraft that’s perhaps a bit wider and with wings set higher off the ground to support engine designs decades in the future. AI tools and computer-modelling improvements should help speed design. Boeing would be wise to study how Gulfstream simplified its design of private jets to lower manufacturing costs.
Boeing chief executive officer Kelly Ortberg has to get it right. Credit: AP
New aircraft usually shoot for 20 per cent or more fuel-burn improvement, and the engine makers will play a key role toward achieving that. CFM International, the joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, is developing an open fan engine that’s a bit of risk, but promising. Rolls-Royce has said it wants to return to building power plants for single-aisle commercial aircraft, and the Financial Times reported that the company has held exploratory talks with Boeing on a 737 replacement.
The Federal Aviation Administration will play a key role for certification of a new aircraft. Boeing would be wise to involve FAA inspectors early in the design process and keep them informed to avoid the devastating mistakes on the 737 Max. The FAA also must do its part by hiring enough inspectors to avoid becoming a drag on development.
