“Boeing is betting on smaller, longer range aircraft for point to point air travel.”
Actually their new 797 is going to be shorter range. Sort of a shorter range 787. They have market analyses that break down the demand for range versus capacity on a matrix. They look for holes and make products that fill them. Bigger is not always better. Neither is ‘longer range’.
Long range works for short hauls too, I would think. Quicker turnaround times if you don’t need to refuel as often.
But the point was; jumbos are restricted by the airports they can fly into. Typically, flying out of Indy, we have to fly to Chicago, Detroit, laguardia, or wherever to get on a longer range plane to go abroad.
With newer smaller LR aircraft, we could in theory, fly direct to a smaller airport.
I remember flying on a 737 out of Indy, direct to grand cayman. Granted, it was a travel club flight, but man, that was great. No layovers. Direct both ways. I think Boeing is betting on that sort of flying experience. It willl be up to the airlines to deliver it though.
But Boeing would sell more airplanes, airlines could have more direct flights, and passengers would spend more to flying to where they’re going than sitting on the ground.
Win - win.