October 8, 2025

The airplane battle is heating up but don’t expect new planes to come flying off soon! Boeing, stuck with a heavy $50 billion debt thanks to the 737 MAX safety problems, and Airbus, which is winning the sales race especially with bigger A320 models, gave investors a reality check at the ISTAT event in Prague. Boeing's marketing boss Darren Hulst told the crowd, "We are never not looking at new technology but we are also not close to launching a new airplane." Meanwhile, a senior Airbus executive said it will "take a bit of time" to get the breakthroughs needed for a 25-30% boost in plane efficiency to win over customers. These two air giants, whose popular planes 737 and A320 have been around for decades and just got engine upgrades in the last decade, face huge demand for more of these narrowbody jets. The big question is when they will drop totally new models to shake things up. Experts think this launch is unlikely before the late 2020s. Earlier this year, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg even held talks with Rolls-Royce about new engines. But Boeing remains busy finishing current projects like two new 737 MAX versions and the big 777X passenger and freight jets. Bloomberg revealed that the 777X is delayed yet again, this time until 2027, piling on a total seven-year wait. "Bringing completing pending projects was the main priority before a new model," said Hulst, without giving details on the 777X delays. On the Airbus side, Francois Collet, Head of Trading and Asset Management, emphasized that any new plane must deliver serious efficiency jumps, and getting there will "take a little bit of time." So, for now, the sky may look open, but launching a brand-new plane for these giants remains a marathon, not a sprint. The race for the next-gen jet is exciting, but patience is the name of the game!

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Tags: Boeing, Airbus, 737 max, A320, Aviation technology, Aircraft development,