Boeing should go for a re-engined 737 instead of an all-new design, Doric Asset Finance Managing Director Mark Lapidus told Aviation Week. “Waiting for a new design until 2020 would give Airbus the opportunity to massively extend its market share [with the Airbus A320NEO] also in the U.S.,” Lapidus believes. Doric Asset Finance specializes in aircraft funds, among others, and has financed several Airbus A380s.

Once large NEO fleets have been built up, it will be difficult for Boeing to turn the market around, Lapidus argues. He says he is not surprised by the early sales success of the NEO since it “allows a nice boost in performance” that could turn the A321NEO with winglets into a viable replacement option for the Boeing 757. Airbus claims the aircraft will have full U.S. transcontinental range.