The Boeing 787 Dreamliner may be getting bigger. The aircraft company is considering launching a bigger version of the plane to meet the demand for long-haul travel within Asia and other routes.
Reuters reports that Boeing is likely to announce plans for a 323-seat version of the 787 Dreamliner as the Paris Airshow next week.
"We have no comment on the report but we are engaged in discussions with customers on a potential new member of the 787 family," a Boeing spokesman told Reuters.
A larger version of the 787 has been in demand as Singapore Airline said they would commit to buying the $300 million plane if the company does build it.
This speculation comes as the Airbus A350 makes it first maiden flight on Friday. The Airbus plane will serve as competition for the 787 Dreamliner. Both aircrafts are made from lightweight carbon composites which help airlines save fuel.
Other airlines may also be interested in the larger version. British Airways parent IAG is looking to buy more Dreamliners and there is some speculation that they're interested in buying the larger version which will be called the 787-10.
U.S. lessor Air Lease Corp and United Airlines have also shown interest in a larger version.
Reuters' sources also claim that there are other airlines that may be in the pool of buyers such as Germany's Lufthansa.
The larger 787 Dreamliner will have a longer fuselage and will be able to carry more passengers than the current Dreamliner planes. However officials say it will offer less range. Competitor Airbus says stretching the plane will force it to give up too much range, which is what happened to the failed 767-400ER, which didn't have enough orders. However Boeing says the 787 has a longer stride which will still allow it to have range.
The Paris Airshow starts Monday.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
