CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Boeing Co. (BA) is proposing to stretch its largest 777 model to create a twin-engine behemoth aimed at delivering a knock-out blow to Airbus Group SE's struggling A380 superjumbo jet, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with its plans.
The U.S. planemaker has approached several carriers about the plane it calls the 777-10X, including Emirates Airline, the world's largest operator of both Boeing's 777 and Airbus's double-decker aircraft, the report said.
The proposed model would carry about 450 travelers, sharpening its rivalry with the A380, two of the people said. To do so, Boeing would stretch the frame of its 777-9 to squeeze in about four extra rows of seats. The -9, whose debut is slated for decade's end, will be the first twin-engine model to encroach on jumbo territory by hauling more than 400 passengers.
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