McNerney takes shots at ‘Xbox’

Airbus’ proposed new A350-XWB isn’t a threat, Boeing honcho Jim McNerney said during Wednesday’s conference call.

“The revamped 350 that we’re seeing, I don’t think it fundamentally changes what we’re doing,” he said.

Airbus, of course, unveiled plans for the wider, 250- to 350-seat A350 at Farnborough. Originally conceived as a counter to Boeing’s new 787, it now appears to be a plane targeted at Boeing’s popular 777 series. Analysts were quick to question the Boeing chief about it on Wednesday.

“It seems that they’re trying to cover two of our airplane families with one airplane, which is a tough putt,” McNerney said. “You’ve got a single airplane trying to cover two of the most-successful families of airplanes that we’ve ever had.”

While acknowledging that “it has some elements of competitiveness with the low end of the 777 line, if they can execute along the lines of the concept they put out,” McNerney suggested that Team Toulouse is dreaming if they think it can top the 787.

“We don’t see it as a plane that can compete very well with our 787 line,” he said. “It’s a little big and a little heavy to do the mission that the 787 can do.

“What they’re doing makes sense,” McNerney concluded, “but will it be enough is, I think, the question.”