Music to BBD’s, EMB’s Ears

Boeing is scrapping plans to develop a single-aisle replacement for it 737, the company announced at the Berlin Air Show, where Aviation Today Publisher John Persinos is keeping watch and producing a daily blog. Reaction at Bombardier, which is proposing the C-Series as a single-aisle, 110- to 149-seat replacement is undoubtedly celebratory since pundits have been skeptical of the success of the proposed aircraft set to be launched, or scrapped, later this year. Pundits have also pointed to the failure of previous attempts produced by traditional regional aircraft manufactures such as the Fokker 100. It also boosts Embraer’s arguments for right sizing fleets as Finnair, Air Canada and US Airways have done especially with the lethal combination of aged aircraft liberally peppering the network fleet and rising fuel costs. Related Story  To date, American announced its intention to spin off its MD-80s and some A300s. Related Story
Boeing is jettisoning efforts to develop a successor to the B737, said Persinos, citing insufficient in-house technology that can deliver the outsized boost in performance that operators seek for a next-generation single-aisle aircraft. Insiders say that Boeing’s surprise decision to abandon the Replacement Study — dubbed 737RS — will probably affect how its competitor Airbus proceeds on its ASOX replacement for the A320. Boeing officials said that the new imperative will be in fundamental research in aerodynamics, composites and advanced hybrid alloys.