Boeing 737 replacement?

[Going Boeing]

Ticker at bottom of CNN screen said that Boing is to develop a replacement for the B737 to be available circa 2012. Nothing showing on the Boeing website - does anyone have additional info.

[Buster Hyman]

A320 perhaps?????:confused:

[AirwayBlocker]

Seems CNN got it slightly wrong...

The following courtesy of Flight International.

Boeing may decide 737 replacement plan within 18 months
By Stephen Trimble ([email protected])

Boeing may decide to launch a replacement programme for the 737 (http://www.flightglobal.com/directory/searchresults.aspx?navigationItemId=388&aircraftCategory=CommercialAircraft&manufacturerType=CommercialAircraft&searchMode=keyword&Keyword=737&Manufacturer=) before May 2009.
Scott Carson, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president (http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/execprofiles/carson.html), says the company will “likely” decide on a single-aisle replacement within 18 months. A final decision must be made by the company by 2012, he adds.
A Boeing spokeswoman confirms Carson’s remarks, which were reported in the French newspaper Le Monde (http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0,36-986547,0.html).
The new timeline means Boeing could be seeking to advance the development schedule for the 737 replacement.
In the past, company officials have stated that technology to justify a 737 replacement would not become available until at least 2015.

[blueloo]

Probably an all new design - with a 1960s style 737 cockpit for fleet commonality with southwest!

[WannaBeBiggles]

Boeing has been researching a 737 replacement for some time, they probably have just upped the R&D because they have a shortlist of designs.

[waav8r]

Blueloo - That is very very funny!!:ok::ok:

[carbon]

You would have to think the 737 replacement will utilize much of the technology developments of the 787. So any significant program work would follow the successful launch and inevitable teething problems of the 787.

[The Bunglerat]

Blueloo, you talk about the overhead panel. I can't believe that the bloody thing has such a poxy 2-axis autopilot! I understand why Boeing didn't want to change certain things for the sake of commonality (at least as far as direct pilot interface, like the overhead for example), but it seems to me they missed a perfect opportunity to revamp a number of "behind-the-scenes" systems, such as a 3-axis autopilot with a "brain" that can fly the thing smoothly single-engine, or an auto-throttle that can actually keep up with the aeroplane instead of lagging the way it does! Such things could have been significantly improved without having to change the front-end controls and switches.

However methinks the reason why not is the same as always: $$$