Boeing defends commitment to 737 MAX

Boeing defended its commitment to the 737 MAX after rival Airbus said the US planemaker may switch back to its original strategy of developing an all-new successor to the single-aisle jet. Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy told reporters on a conference call on Friday that Boeing "may have to go back to an all-new clean-sheet aeroplane to compete" with Airbus's A320neo, an upgrade of the European planemaker's model that vies with the 737. Leahy said he based his comments on reports from suppliers and airlines that Boeing hadn't dismantled the team that had been working on a brand new successor. A Boeing spokeswoman said the Chicago-based company doesn't expect a new aircraft until well into the next decade and cited 700 commitments for the MAX from nine customers. Low-risk solution Article continues below "The 737 is better than our competition today, and with the MAX, will be even better tomorrow," Karen Crabtree said in a statement. "We are pleased with the work completed to date as we continue working with customers and finalising the airplane configuration," she said. "As we always do, we continue to evaluate the best low-risk solution for new development programmes and production system architecture." Boeing decided to offer the MAX, which will carry more fuel-efficient engines, to fend off the A320neo and help capture half of a $2 trillion (Dh7 trillion) market in the next 20 years. If Boeing were to change its mind and develop an all-new plane, that could help thwart further orders for the Airbus upgrade as airlines might be willing to wait a bit longer to get an all-new model, rather than an upgraded version of a plane that's been flying since the late 1980s.