Boeing's announcement that it's launching a re-engined version of its evergreen 737 has sent the analysts reaching for their calculators. Eight months after Airbus launched its A320neo, Boeing finally ended industry speculation about its response on August 30 when it unveiled a new single-aisle family it calls 737 MAX. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2017, two years after the A320neo. Will it be worth waiting for? The key parameter is operating efficiency and there are varying estimates about the savings that can be expected from the MAX compared with the A320neo. It seems that if it's only a few centimetres or a couple of percentage points, size really does matter. Boeing claims the MAX family's operating costs will be 7% lower than the standard A320 and 4% better than the neo. But one group of analysts, while agreeing the MAX could have the advantage, puts it at half Boeing's claims. The US-based Airlnsight team says: "We undertook an analysis based on the data available and we have to say that the 737 MAX looks pretty good." Its initial estimates suggest that "MAX will be about 2% better than neo in cost per hour."
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