United A350 orders - Boeing needs to offer 777NG to airlines

United’s order for twenty five A350’s instead of 777’s should be a wakeup call for Boeing. United had been the 777’s launch airline almost 15 years ago and will probably now be the US launch airline for the A350.

One interpretation of this purchase may be that United sees the present 777 configuration as inferior to the promised specifications of the A350, as it is still a paper airliner.

Given that, Boeing should now present a 777NG paper airliner to airlines to blunt the inroads of the A350 to this niche market, that has reached more than 500 orders.

Philippine Air Lines 777-300ER

This number of A350 orders can also be explained by the absence of delivery slots with the 787 program. But as the A330 was sidelined by the 787, the 777 will suffer the same fate unless a 777NG will be competitive enough.

Boeing can squeeze the A350 from two directions. From the lower end, by building the 787-10, and from the higher end via a 777NG.

The 777’s advantages over the A350 are:
1. cargo capacity
2. cabin width
3. fuselage crown area
4. mature reliable engine

For the 777NG to keep pace with the A350, it needs to be able to match if not exceed the seat-mile efficiency, the production cost, and the operating/maintenance cost of the A350. And maintain its advantages. This is a tall order for a twenty year older airliner but that is what an NG is about.

Possible 777NG features are:
1. a new composite wing that is also optimized for a possible 777 replacement
2. lightened fuselage through composites and new alloys
3. increased range to cover all airport pairs
4. relocated semi-virtual cockpit in the fuselage crown to increase passenger count
5. Active Electronically Scanned Array radar to optimize passenger count
6. relocate all possible cabin floor level services to the fuselage crown to increase passenger count
7. engine enhancements to lower fuel cost and/or increase range

If Boeing is able to increase the range of the 777NG to cover all airport pairs, it will have again a premium product that can also be priced at a premium like the 747 before.

777-8NG - Competitive Upgrading Of The Boeing 777

The Boeing 777 is on top of its market. It has relegated the A340 to minimal orders already. But here comes the A350XWB challenge in 4 years time. If this A350XWB airliner starts commercial service, it will drastically reduce the 777's new order rates. Unless Boeing makes a 777-8NG, or a new 7107 that will stradle the 777 and 747-400 market.

What would make a 777-8NG competitive to the A350XWB?

1. New engines - GEnx technology to the GE90-115B that may result in 5% better fuel burn

2. New composite wings - lighter and more efficient that may result in 5% better efficiency, that may be used later on the new 7107

3. Attic utilization - to increase seat numbers thereby reducing seat-mile costs

4. Fuselage modification - to decrease weight and better aerodynamics

5. UAV technology for better gate to gate efficiency

Bombardier CS - New Competitor for Boeing and Airbus Single Aisle Arliners

Lufthansa has firmed up its order for 30 Bombardier CS100 single aisle airliners with options for 30 more. The CS100 will be used by its subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines to replace its BAe Avrojets in 2014. The CS airliner is offered in 5 models - the CS100, its extended range version CS100ER, the CS300, its extended range version CS300ER and its extra thrust version CS300XT.

BOMBARDIER C-SERIES DRAWING

C-SERIES CABIN MOCKUP