The Boeing 787 has already become one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever built, with thousands of orders and a backlog that stretches years into the future. Yet Boeing is studying new versions of the Dreamliner — and the biggest reason may have less to do with fuel efficiency than with engine reliability, cargo capacity and the changing wide-body market.
Boeing already has the 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 covering different airline missions. But Airbus is developing the A350 family while Rolls-Royce continues improving the Trent XWB, and Boeing faces a major gap in its freighter lineup. With the 767F ending production and the 777-8F delayed, a 787-based freighter could become one of the company's most important future aircraft programs.
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The Boeing 787 has already become one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever built, with thousands of orders and a backlog that stretches years into the future. Yet Boeing is studying new versions of the Dreamliner — and the biggest reason may have less to do with fuel efficiency than with engine reliability, cargo capacity and the changing wide-body market.
Boeing already has the 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 covering different airline missions. But Airbus is developing the A350 family while Rolls-Royce continues improving the Trent XWB, and Boeing faces a major gap in its freighter lineup. With the 767F ending production and the 777-8F delayed, a 787-based freighter could become one of the company's most important future aircraft programs.
Subscribe for more aviation news, aircraft analysis, Boeing vs Airbus comparisons, and the future of commercial aviation.