Boeing’s 737 Replacement Will Be Make-or-Break: Thomas Black

A report that Boeing Co. is planning to build a clean-sheet design single-aisle aircraft to replace the 737, an aircraft platform first created in the 1960s, isn’t a surprise, but it does mark a milestone for the company’s recovery.

Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg, an engineer who led aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins, has an opportunity to restore Boeing’s standard of excellence for designing commercial aircraft. That standard has sunk to a new low after the 737 Max fiasco. Boeing is still struggling to certify the Max 7 and Max 10 versions of the aircraft as well as the new ...