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Introduction

Aug. 15, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Boeing says it may discontinue the 747 program.

Airbus put the A380neo on indefinite hold. Qantas Airways says it doesn’t want its last eight orders. The OEM will reduce the production to 12/yr in 2018.

There haven’t been any Boeing 777X sales since June 2015. There are only six identified customers and there has been a new, identified customer added since July

Boeing is considering a larger 777-10, which will carry 50 more passengers than the 777-9. But is there a market? Boeing photo via Google images.

2014, when ANA ordered the X.

Sales have dried up for the 365 passenger Boeing 777-300ER and only a smattering of orders have come in for its competitor, the Airbus A350-1000.

What’s happened to the Very Large Aircraft sector? What’s happened to the large, medium twin aircraft sector?

Summary

• The VLA market pioneered by Boeing and pursued by Airbus is virtually nonexistent.
• Yet there are those in Boeing who want to launch a 450-passenger 777-10 into a dubious market demand.
• 777 Classic sales dried up, but A350-1000 isn’t doing great, either. Are these too big, too?