Boeing Plans to Replace 737 Max with Single-Aisle Aircraft

(MENAFN) In a strategic shift to restore market confidence, U.S. aerospace giant Boeing is in the early stages of developing a next-generation narrow-body jet intended to replace its troubled 737 Max, according to media.

Although not officially announced, the prospective single-aisle aircraft remains in preliminary development and is pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

As part of the initiative, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has appointed a senior product executive to head up the commercial aircraft division. This newly installed leader will be responsible for steering the design and production of the 737 Max replacement.

In February, Ortberg held talks in the U.K. with Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilic to explore a potential engine deal for the new model. Erginbilic later said during a September investor briefing that “the new aircraft would point to where the firm is headed in development.”

Boeing is also contending with a significant production backlog, aiming to deliver and certify nearly 6,000 commercial aircraft. “We are monitoring the market,” the company said in a recent statement, adding, “it is ready for a new product.”

Engineering goals for the new jet include at least a 15% boost in fuel efficiency, using lighter materials, revamped fuselage architecture, and a new engine design. Development costs are expected to run into tens of billions of dollars.

The move comes as Boeing works to distance itself from the legacy of the 737 Max, which suffered two fatal crashes—in October 2018 and March 2019—that claimed a total of 346 lives and led to a worldwide grounding of the aircraft. The model had only been in commercial service since May 2017.

In response to the crisis, Boeing agreed in 2021 to FAA oversight and paid $2.5 billion in fines and compensation.

Further scrutiny returned after a separate Boeing model, the 737-800, crashed on December 29, 2024, marking the deadliest aviation accident in South Korea’s history.

Since then, the company has overhauled its leadership structure and ramped up safety protocols as it seeks to reclaim ground lost to European rival Airbus.

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