Originally Posted by
sailingfun
Keep in mind the NEO is a paper aircraft at the moment. Many doubt that Airbus has the engineering staff available to have the aircraft flying in 2016. They have several huge projects they are way behind on as we speak. Its far more likely the aircraft will slide into 2018 or later. It Boeing were to come out with a brand new aircraft shortly after 2020 they would clean Airbuses clock. Everyone would wait for the new generation. Why buy a aircraft mostly based on early eighties technology that will be outdated in a few years. That is one reason Boeing has said that the NEO does not make sense. I think you will see Boeing launch a all new aircraft before 2014 to be available around 2020.
Boeing will think they learned from their outsourcing orgy, do it again, have the same result and squeal to the world court when Airbus sells 600 planes to SWA. The 320 NEO only needs engines and winglets added to it, and maybe tiny little things like slightly more aerodynamic beacons and landing lights, etc. Big deal. The legwork for the winglets is pretty much done anyway. That leaves them 5 years to work out engine only. I think they can handle that long before Boeing can get a clean sheet narrowbody off the ground. Long before.