Hello everyone! I just read and watched some videos on this and I decided to share it with you. Now first, you should all know what the “middle of the market means.”
This means an aircraft between a narrow body and a wide body.
This market segment has been lacking, and the only real market was the old 757. However, the 757 is very old and inefficient, so airlines needed a new airplane. Boeing attempted to make the 797, which would have been an opening to this market. However, Boeing improved on their 737 series, by making the 737 MAX… and we all know what that led to.
Airbus has taken the opportunity to make the A321 XLR, a new and improved version of their successful A320 series. Not only is it efficient, it also is better for passenger comfort!
The A321 XLR in all its glory:
The A321 XLR has as of May 19th, 2020, 450+ orders!
Which one do you think is better: A321 XLR or Boeing 757? Comment down below.
I really wish Boeing would have been working on the 757 remodel or the 797 NMA a lot sooner, especially if they knew it was becoming obsolete… To me, the 757 is one of those iconic aircraft…
A few days ago I had read that the new Boeing CEO said that there will be no new aircraft by Boeing as part of its restructuring after what happened with the MAX, it is 777x is going to be the last new Boeing aircraft in a long sadly time
In it’s time the 757 was amazing but newer engine technology means that it is being/will be superseded by the A321neo both in the short haul market and now with the XLR on thinner transatlantic routes as well.
Rather than simply ending production when they did, Boeing should have done a revamp of the 757 (like the A320 to A320neo transition) or done a clean sheet replacement then.
At the other point they can be lucky that they haven’t a new model yet. If they would have nenewed the 757, it would very likely have similar technical parts as the 737MAX to save production costs. And that would maybe cause a grounding of that type es well.
Personally the airbus - I prefer the design over Boeing.
(Massively simplified warning)
Politically still airbus as while both receive state aid (and argue they don’t and say the other side does) airbus generally gets it up front with loans repayable to develop bans aircraft, whereas Boeing gets it in tax breaks, tariff subdivides and governmental protections.
For me this results in airbus being more able to try new things (fly by wire) but that it doesn’t mean it will be a commercial success. (See A380)
Boeing planes are more conservative As costs are usually borne by them but they get support in protecting a market place to sell into which gives it some level of commercial security. This approach also means regulators in the USA seem to have got in bed with them. (And I believe partially responable for the culture that led to the mcas situation)
But back to to A321 XLR - commercially I cannot see where it would be used effectively, that could be serviced either by more frequent narrow body, or having peak services by a wide body plane.
It seems to fit in the middle filling a technical niche in the market but not nessiarily a need
Well yes, but the underlying problem was a toxic work culture at Boeing. A company making mistakes like that is always prone to do more. The 797 might have suffered from a similar, but equally catastrophic flaw. So in short it’s probably just best for the company to regroup and restructure while the industry is down anyways.
This means an aircraft between a narrow body and a wide body. 
