From kls Tue Mar 18 03:14:52 1997 Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics.airliners,misc.transport.air-industry Path: bounce-back Date: 18 Mar 97 03:14:52 From: Jean-Francois Mezei <"[nospam]jfmezei"@videotron.ca> Subject: Re: Boeing cancels 747-500X/600X? References: Message-ID: Approved: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Sender: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Organization: SPC Reply-To: "[nospam]jfmezei"@videotron.ca Terry Schell wrote: > The central claim that you need to focues on *new* orders when you > work out the viability of a new product is unchanged. I contend that > the bulk of the customers who have expressed interest in the 3XX are > currently 330/340 customers; the orders of 3XX's will be reducing the > orders of 330/340 And the orders for a Boeing super-jumbo would also be replacing orders for existing models of 747s. Where Airbus "wins" compared to Boeing in introducing such a plane is that it fills a market where Airbus currently has no presence whereas Boeing does with its 747-400 to some extent. Differently: The gap between the A340 and A3XX is much greater than the gap between the 747-400 and 747-500/600X. By introducing the A3XX, Airbus can hope to capture some sales that would otherwise have gone to Boeing's 747s. By introducing a 747-500/600, Boeing will not steal any sales except from its own 747-400. Airbus can *hope* to steal some 747 sales with a properly sized A3XX as well as capture that small market for the super jumbo. Boeing won't really be stealing any market since it already has 100% of the jumbo market so its 747-500/600x must be justified solely on that small market for a super-jumbo.