Boeing Co. sees a potential demand for over 1,000 aircraft in the mid-market niche between its single-aisle 737 and wide-body 787 but hasn’t yet decided to invest in a new jetliner.

John Wojick, senior vice president for global sales and marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told Reuters that airlines have told Boeing they are interested in a jet about 20 percent larger than its now out-of-production 757 and with the ability to fly further. That would put it beyond the latest single-aisle A321LR from rival Airbus, Reuters said.

Airlines are looking for a jetliner to seat 240 more comfortably but just as efficiently as the smaller 737, Wojick told Reuters.

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“That’s the secret sauce,” Wojick said. “If we can find a way to do that, we think we would have a really effective plane in the marketplace.” He added that the market “is certainly more than 1,000.”

The 757, last delivered in 2005, remains popular because of its range and performance and many will soon come up for replacement. The larger 767 is being replaced by the 787 Dreamliner.

via Boeing sees possible demand for over 1,000 jets for mid-market – St. Louis Business Journal.