Boeing is reportedly moving closer to making a final decision (or opting not to) on an all new middle of the market plane (NMA), widely referred to as the 797.
On what is the mysterious 797 read here:
On January 28, 2019, The Air Current reported that over 1,000 people at Boeing are already working on the 797 design, while the program itself is “accelerating towards an internal launch around the end of 1Q 2019”.
The following day Bloomberg reported that a team at Boeing are spearheading the concept of the 797, while executives are “closing in” on the decision. The company’s board “is expected” to review the 797 program by the end of March 2019, according to the publication, which also puts the estimated price of the program at $15 billion.
If Boeing does decide to make the new airliner, it could potentially open up 30,000 new routes, SimpleFlying estimates. Contrary to today’s system in which long haul flights are usually carried from major hubs, the middle of the market plane would provide more options for point-to-point routes from secondary cities.
In respect to the news, all eyes are now turning to the Paris Air Show, coming in June 2019, as a likely venue for Boeing to announce its decision. However, similar speculation of possible 797 announcement was also circulating before – prior Farnborough Air Show of 2018.