Boeing’s Biggest Mistake: Ending the 757
- Jamsheed Motafram
- 17m
- 5 min read
Boeing ended the 757 program in 2004, creating a notable gap in its aircraft offerings.
The 757 is celebrated for its versatility, impressive performance, and suitability for demanding routes and airports.
Airbus capitalized on this gap by expanding the A321Neo line, capturing much of the middle-of-the-market segment.
Boeing's existing alternatives, such as the 737 MAX and 787, do not adequately fill the role once held by the 757.
Boeing is rumored to be developing a New Midsize Airplane, which could potentially resolve the deficiency left by the 757’s cancellation.
With the recent controversy surrounding Boeing in recent years due to the 737 MAX, the quality control of their products as well as delayed certification of aircraft such as the Boeing 777X further pushed back to 2027, no one talks about this mistake. And that would be ending the 757 program in 2004. This left Boeing with a gaping hole in their product offerings. The 757 is defined as a middle of the market aircraft that’s larger than normal narrow bodies but with less capacity than a 777 or 747. In this blog, we will go over why the 757 is loved, the reason for its cancellation, why it was a mistake to cancel the program and the potential of the New Midsize Airplane.
What Makes the Boeing 757 Unique
The Boeing 757 is a favorite amongst pilots and airlines due to its versatility and performance. Airlines such as United and Delta utilize the type for “long and thin routes” such as Newark to Edinburgh or Denver to Maui. It offers airlines flexibility for those or medium haul trunk routes such as Minneapolis to Orange County. Not only that, pilots love the plane because of its performance in different climates. For example, at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA, the noise requirements at that airport are the strictest in the country. There are special procedures for pilots to follow when taking off from there. The pilots are required to keep their parking brakes on the runway until the engines are spooled up and then they take off. But after they take off, power has to be cutoff immediately to not disturb the residents of Newport Beach. That’s where the 757 comes in. For an airport such as that, the 757s engine performance is necessary. The 757 is either powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW2040 engines or two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, which can allow it to climb more quickly and handle the inconvenience that John Wayne brings.
Another good example of the 757’s performance in play is flying out of Denver, Colorado. Due to its hot and high climate as well as the winds going off of the rockies, it’s a nightmare for pilots to fly in and out of. A plane such as the 757 with its handling during crosswind landings and takeoffs make it a strong asset for United’s operations out of the Mile High City. In the Airliner World article Peerless, former 757 pilot Ken Hoke talks about how “the large format display system upgrade (LDS) provides the pilot info about what vectors to fly” (Broadbent 33). The combination of performance and versatility is why the 757 is the “jack of all trades” when it comes to airliners. All the more reason as to why it was shocking that Boeing pulled the plug.
Why the 757 Was Cancelled
Despite getting rave reviews from airlines and pilots alike, the last 757 left the Boeing Renton Plant in 2004. In an article on Simple Flying, it states that airlines were in favor of smaller narrowbodies such as the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737. Combine that with low-cost carriers such as Ryanair preferring these smaller narrowbodies, Boeing decided it wasn’t worth the expensive development costs to continue the program, which would eventually lead to the 737 MAX. And that move would eventually hurt Boeing in the long run.
Why Cancelling the 757 was a Mistake
There are a few reasons as to why cancelling the program was a mistake. First of all, by not including a plane like this in their catalogue, it gave Airbus the opportunity to expand on their A321Neo program with variants such as the A321XLR, which would allow airlines to fly on the routes that the 757 used to fly. The 737 MAX or 787 Dreamliner can’t compete with that, due to the former being too small and the latter being too large for that market segment. Instead of going for the New Midsize Airplane or an upgraded 757 MAX series, Boeing thought it would be a better idea to design the 737 MAX to compete with Airbus’ narrowbody offerings. In addition, even though the A321Neo series are excellent aircraft, they don’t have the performance capabilities of the 757 that would allow it to fly into airports such as John Wayne or Denver.
Future New Midsize Airplane
Recently however, Boeing announced that they will make a new narrowbody, which will be built in Washington State. However, details about this plane are relatively unknown as it’s niche. But there is some potential that this narrowbody would be a resurrection of the New Midsize Airplane program (NMA) from the early 2010s. This plane potentially called the 797 could be a narrowbody equivalent of the 787 Dreamliner with a composite fuselage and more fuel-efficient engines. Ideally, this plane should have engines which would allow it to match the performance of the 757. Airlines such as Delta or United would love a plane like that which would allow them to fly into those tough to reach airports as well as long and thin international destinations. But time will tell if Boeing rectifies this mistake.
Conclusion
In summary, the Boeing 757 is probably the best aircraft that Boeing has ever designed and it was a big mistake to end the development of this extraordinary machine. But what do you guys think? Should Boeing have continued the 757 and/or are you excited for Boeing’s new narrowbody? Be sure to let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky!