Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the global aerospace company has begun early work on a possible new airplane design but is not yet ready to move forward.
Ortberg, who became president and CEO in August 2024, said Boeing is spending “time and money” evaluating its options and preparing to introduce a new design when the company is ready, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“We don’t have a firm configuration right now,” Ortberg said ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow near London. “We’re evaluating trade studies. You create a baseline, and you evaluate things against the baseline, and then you change.”
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Before launching a new airplane, Boeing wants to improve its finances, develop the necessary technology and deliver aircraft that are already behind schedule, Ortberg said.
“Certainly, getting our financial house in order is a part of our being ready,” Ortberg said. “That’s going to take another couple years.”
Boeing is currently focused on delivering delayed models, including its long-awaited 777X wide-body jet, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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“Orders are not our challenge,” Ortberg said. “Our challenge is getting these orders delivered.”
Boeing also kept the 777X in the U.S. rather than conducting demonstration flights at the Farnborough airshow while the aircraft awaits Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The FAA could approve Boeing’s 737 MAX 7 as soon as late July. Ortberg said he expects the larger MAX 10 to follow not long afterward, the outlet reported.
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Ortberg said airline customers want Boeing to focus on improving production and reliability across its current lineup before introducing a new jet, according to CNBC.
Boeing and Airbus dominate the large commercial aircraft market, and a future Boeing airplane could help the company compete with Airbus’ A320 family, the outlet reported.
The comments come as Boeing adds to its order book. In May, President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to order 200 Boeing jets during a high-level meeting in Beijing.
Boeing could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.
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