Airbus sales chief not worried by Boeing super-sizing 737

Airbus sales chief John Leahy said Tuesday he was not worried about Boeing adopting a larger engine for its 737 MAX 9 jet, dubbing it "Mad MAX" because of the technical challenges it would face. Reuters reported on Sunday that Boeing was looking at modifying a larger 'LEAP' engine used on Airbus' hot-selling A321neo to make a 737 with more capacity and range. Boeing would probably go ahead with the upgrade rather than build a widely touted and costlier jet in the 'middle of the market,' where Boeing is studying a gap between short-haul and big wide-body jets, Leahy said. Boeing said it was in continuous dialogue with customers. Industry sources have drawn a distinction between Boeing's tactical defense of the 737 and longer-term discussions about a larger mid-market jet with about 220-260 seats, which could in turn prepare the ground for a full 737 replacement after 2030. While dismissing Boeing's plans to upgrade the 737 to compete with a larger Airbus model, Airbus said it remained in talks with airlines about adding to its own A350 family with a bigger version, sharpening competition at the top of the market. But conscious of the threat of drawing demand away from its existing A350 line-up, it said it did not expect the bulk of the airline business to be attracted to a 400-seat twinjet. It also dropped into its annual media briefings a new working name for the possible jet, the A350-2000.<br/>