The 787-300 Mysteriously Turns Into A 797

Remember when Boeing thought it something going right when it offered the 787-300 only to promptly cancel that Idea and focus on the 787-8? The 787-300 was supposed to carry  about what a 797 would carry. It was supposed to fly what a 797 would fly. So What happened to the 787-300 as ANA only bought in on the 787-300 with 13 copies ordered. Like any fine wine the grapes are the same and the process of making alcoholic content is the same but what makes a great wine?  Time or in Boeing's case timing. The 787-300 concept was an abject failure partially because it flew just over 3,000 miles and airlines were enamored with 7,000 plus miles at the time. The 797 is promised with 5,000 miles. I would suspect it will go dual aisle like the 787-300. I also expect it will only go 7 seats across. It probably go 250 seats maximum while a 270 seater Boeing mentioned is a bridge too far for it is attempt at this time.

This ultimate gap filler would supplant any 757 aficionados or 767 die-hards with  medium airport fittings as high tech gap filler. Boeing learned some lessons during the early stages of the 787 stumbles. The 787-300 was non starter. The 797 is going to be what the 787 family couldn't be. It won't stretch to 337 passenger or fly just to 3,000 miles as Boeing once offered. But it will have two aisle because it has to not compete with the A321 NEO. It must define its own class better than what Airbus does for its customers with the A-321. Two aisle is that start that assures Qantas a fast turn around time under 35 minutes. Alan Joyce of Qantas came out of the Singapore Air Show with a big smile. Joyce will get his sunset aircraft with a gap filler to boot from Boeing. It will turn the far east on its ear so to speak and Qantas will be at the front of that line.

The Qantas order backlog with its 787-9's options will be turned into extra long range sunset busters during a Farnborough order book rally for the yet to be announced 797. The whole point is not Qantas or for Boeing's sales leader, Randy Tinseth but East Asia's market place. Qantas is grabbing  position on what will be a Boeing order onslaught. Airbus is waiting to see what happens first before it dives in with a counter punch. The A321 is too successful for an Airbus blink until the market reacts.