Boeing Outlines Plans for Mega-Jumbo 747X

Boeing Co. said it had briefed more than 30 airline customers on its outlines for longer-range and higher-capacity versions of the 420-seat 747-400 during a three-day Seattle symposium. The discussions were the first step toward possibly building the upgraded 747X, Boeing’s proposal to counter Airbus Industrie’s planned 555-seat A3XX, which could threaten Boeing’s dominance in the lucrative wide-body market. One 747X version would seat 504 passengers--or more, depending on the configuration. Another version would fly 8,975 nautical miles, up from 8,400. The 747X would cost about $5 billion to develop, and the individual planes would cost tens of millions less than the A3XX, though each manufacturer claims its plane would be more efficient and less expensive to operate than the other.