Air Transport
Boeing Challenges A321 With 737-900ER
Aviation Week & Space Technology
07/25/2005, page 40
Michael Mecham
San Francisco
Airline feedback pushes Boeing to more range, seating on newest 737
Printed headline: Family Growth
Boeing is filling a seating gap in its single-aisle lineup and renewing the challenge to the Airbus A321 with the launch of the 737-900ER, which offers airlines the choice of carrying 26 more passengers or flying another 500 naut. mi.
Known as the 737-900X when Boeing began offering it to airlines 18 months ago, the new airplane was launched last week with the formal signing of an order for 60 aircraft from Lion Air. Indonesia's first discount carrier signed a preliminary agreement for a mix of 737-800s and -900Xs two months ago--the model mix has not been announced--with a book value of $3.9 billion. The first -900ER is to be delivered in the first half of 2007. The list price is $66.5-68.5 million (2005 dollars).
Boeing has added range (495 naut. mi.) and boosted the potential passenger count by five from what it initially discussed when it first began making -900X presentations to airlines (AW&ST Dec. 1, 2003, p. 52). It has also decided to include a flat aft pressure bulkhead to be manufactured by Mid-Western Aircraft in Wichita, Kan., the former Boeing plant that produces 737 fuselages and tail sections. There was talk earlier of making that bulkhead optional. Chief Project Engineer Mike Delaney says 98% of the aircraft's parts and assemblies are the same as other 737 Next Generation aircraft.
The new aircraft will include a standard Type 2 door measuring 24 X 52 in. located on the left side of the fuselage behind the wing. It is to accommodate safety requirements if airlines opt to carry up to 215 passengers in a single-class configuration. The standard -900 has six exit doors but is limited by safety requirements to 189 passengers. Airlines that opt for range over added seating won't "activate" the seventh door, meaning its cutout frame will still be included in the fuselage but covered over, according to Delaney.
Carriers that choose the standard seating can gain a range of up to 3,205 naut. mi. with auxiliary fuel tanks. The flat pressure bulkhead adds 26 in. to the aircraft's interior running length over a traditional concave bulkhead. That translates into being able to store eight galley carts in the tail rather than five, for instance.
The added range opens the possibility of flying Singapore-Tokyo or Boston-Los Angeles routes with 180 passengers, which Boeing considered typical for a two-class layout in aircraft of that size. Those examples assume an aircraft with one auxiliary fuel tank and having a 187,700-lb. maximum takeoff weight. Boeing says the A321-200 cannot match the 737-900ER's range or trip-mile costs carrying a similar passenger count.
Delaney says Lion Air is discussing seating for 200-213 passengers, meaning it will use the seventh exit door.
Although Boeing has adjusted the -900ER's design to reflect airline feedback, the basic challenge the company faced in wanting to improve the top end of the 737 line has not changed. Since its launch in 1993, the 737 NG has generated 2,719 orders (through June) and boosted the success of the industry's all-time best-seller. But the 189-seat -900's sales have been tepid, accounting for only 85 orders. Ninety percent of 737 NG orders are written for the 149-177-seat 737-700/ 800 models.
That's not surprising because the -700 and -800 sit in the middle of typical seat demand for single-aisle aircraft. The new -900ER is designed to appeal to charter carriers, low-fare/high-density operators and those needing extra range.
Its entry also pokes the 737 above the 200-passenger count in the single-aisle market and gives it a capability formerly filled by the 757-200. Without the -900ER, Boeing's only option for airlines needing a 200-seat-class aircraft is to migrate to the much larger twin-aisle 787 family, a big leap in terms of range and capacity but at about twice the cost.
The standard 737-900 will remain in the lineup--there are 37 deliveries pending--but the -900ER is expected to become a better seller because it's more versatile. Among current 737 customers, Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise and Japan Airlines included the -900X options in orders they placed this spring, although officials for both companies say they aren't yet ready to commit now that the "X" has been launched.
The -900ER's overall length remains the same as the -900, 138 ft. 2 in. The wingspan is 112 ft. 7 in., which increases to 117 ft. 5 in. with optional winglets. Its maximum fuel capacity is 7,837 gal. and maximum takeoff weight is 187,700 lb. Typical cruise speed is Mach 0.787 (compared with Mach 0.745 for earlier 737 models) with a sprint capability of Mach 0.82.
Maximum cargo capacity is 1,827 cu. ft., which drops to 1,585 cu. ft. with two auxiliary fuel tanks. The aircraft will be powered by CFM International CFM56-7 engines producing 27,000 lb. maximum thrust.
Jim
