Boeing Plans New Airplane To Succeed 737 Max, WSJ Reports

Boeing Co. has started working on a next-generation single-aisle aircraft that could eventually replace the 737 Max, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The new narrowbody aircraft is in early-stage development, which includes internal design efforts and exploratory talks with engine makers, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the matter.

Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg met with executives from Rolls-Royce in the UK earlier this year to discuss a new engine for the aircraft, two of the people said. The company has also appointed a new senior product leader within its commercial aircraft division, whose previous role was developing a new type of aircraft. 

The report comes as concerns grow among investors and the traveling public about the safety of 737 Max, after a panel flew off an Alaska Airlines jet mid-air last year. That incident became the biggest crisis for Boeing since its entire fleet of Max jets was grounded worldwide in 2019 following two fatal crashes.

Ortberg hasn’t publicly announced any plans for a 737 successor, the Journal said. Boeing said in a statement that it remains focused on its recovery plan, the outlet reported.