The Airlines industry is very dynamic and in a continuous transformation. Airlines are developing and expanding their coverage according to the existing aircraft on the market. Throughout the aeronautical ecosystem, money dictates the operational level.
Boeing 797 Dreamliner
Currently, the major aircraft manufacturers have some notable shortcomings in the middle area. Boeing focused on widebody aircraft and the 737 MAX family of aircraft, but neglected the aircraft.
The 757 and 767 models, which were meant to cover the middle segments, were stopped from production, and the planes in the operational service begin to be withdrawn for commercial reasons.
Rumors say Boeing will launch the model Boeing 797 NMA, a plane with autonomy of flight up to 9300 of kilometers. It will also be able to carry between 220 and 280 passengers, depending on the configuration.
And it will be a remarkable advantage. The new 797 will feature Dreamliner technology, be widebody and provide increased comfort for passengers. Boeing estimates that it could sell up to 4000 797 aircraft over the next 20 years.
Airbus A321XLR
The Airbus answer could be A321XLR, a single-aisle aircraft ready to fly up to 9000-9300 kilometers. The new A321XLR will benefit from the A320neo family of aircraft technology and will be configured to carry up to 220 passengers. At the same time, it will be taken into account that the interior is adapted to the A350 model.
Airbus A321XLR has a very important advantage over Boeing 797. It could be done much faster, the base being already in the operational service and here we are talking about A321LR. While 797 will require zero design and construction, general approval.
Technical specifications: Boeing 797 vs Airbus A321XLR
| Boeing 797 | Airbus A321XLR | |
| Cockpit crew | Two | Two |
| Capacity | 228 (2-Class) up to 275 (1-class) | 206 (2-Class) 220 (1-Class) |
| Exhaust limit | 250-270 | Around 250 passengers |
| Length | 155 ft 3 in / 47.3 m | 44.51 m (146 ft 0 in) |
| span | 124 ft 10 in / 38.0 m span | 35.8 m (117 ft 5 in) |
| Wings surface | 1,994 sq ft (185.25 m2) | 122.4 m2 (1,318 sq ft) |
| Height | 44 ft 6 in / 13.6 m | 11.76 m (38 ft 7 in) |
| The width of the cabin | 139.3 in / 3.54 m cabin | 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| MTOW | Not known | 103 t |
| Cruise speed | Possible Mach 0.85 | Mach 0.78 |
| Kerosene capacity | NO US gal | NO US gal |
| Range | 9,300 km | 9,300 km |
It's hard to determine who will make the biggest profit in the market. It remains to be seen the efficiency, the operational cost per flight and the final sale price.
But first of all, we are waiting to be officially announced. Boeing and Airbus could announce new models at the Paris Air Show 2019.