United States: 250-seater aimed at replacing flawed Sonic Cruiser
The aircraft manufacturer has stated that it hopes to kick-start the concept of cheap transatlantic travel following the launch of a new aircraft that could drastically cut flying costs.
The Boeing 7E7, which is aimed at replacing the 767, will have a range of some 8,000 miles and is reckoned to be between 15 and 20 per cent more fuel-efficient than most existing wide-bodied jets.
The group’s chairman Phil Condit believes that there could be a worldwide market for as many as 2,000 of the new planes which will come into service in 2008. He told The Independent newspaper that the plane itself will become cheaper in coming years following the introduction of new production methods: “It is the cost of the product that will be the revolution – it will have fewer parts and be simpler to maintain.”
The announcement comes less than a year after Boeing scrapped plans for its much-vaunted Sonic Cruiser product. Condit added: “We listened to our airline customers and they told us they wanted a new 250-seat aircraft that was more economic rather than one that went faster.”
