Jetmakers battle over niche where Boeing plans new jet

Boeing played up the prospects for a potential new mid-market jet on the eve of the Singapore Airshow Monday - but the war for sales has already begun in this area of the market worth hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 20 years. Even before Boeing decides whether to launch its much-touted new jet, the US planemaker and rival Airbus are stepping up sales of existing models to seize market share and disrupt each other's profits without the temporary respite many had been expecting after a busier than expected 2017. Their battle is focused on aircraft with around 200-270 seats, where Boeing leads at the top end with its twin-aisle 787 Dreamliner and Airbus seeks to maintain its dominance of the largest single-aisle planes like the A321neo, executives say. <br/>