United Asks Boeing, Airbus for New Narrow-Body Jet (Update2) By Susanna Ray and James Gunsalus Nov. 7 (Bloomberg) -- UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, the world's second-largest carrier, said it's asking Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS to develop a new narrow-body jet for its domestic fleet. United wants ``the narrow-body equivalent'' of a Boeing 787 or an Airbus A350, so it's speaking with the planemakers about starting such a program, Chief Financial Officer Jake Brace said today at a Goldman, Sachs & Co. conference in New York. The Chicago-based airline would use the new planes as replacement aircraft, Brace said. Even if such a jet were built, it wouldn't be ready until 2015, he added. The wide-body 787 Dreamliner and A350 will be more than 50 percent built of composites, cutting their weight to help airlines save fuel. ``We've got the fleet we have, and we'll have it for several years to come,'' Brace said. United's oldest aircraft are 18-year-old 737s. Airbus and Boeing have said they won't come out with a replacement before 2012 or 2013 at the earliest. Airbus's A320 and Boeing's 737 are the most widely sold models in commercial aviation. Airbus has delivered more than 3,000 and Boeing more than 5,500. The time line for Boeing to replace its best-selling plane with a new version depends on engine development and customers' expectations for productivity improvements over current narrow- body planes, Chief Executive Officer James McNerney said on Sept. 11 at a Morgan Stanley conference in New York. `Still a Study' ``We are talking to our customers on a one-on-one basis to get insights on what the requirements would be, but there are no plans to replace 737 at this point,'' Boeing spokeswoman Sandra Angers said. ``This is still very much a study.'' Boeing's next version of the 737 will borrow engine, carbon fiber-composite fuselage and production technology from the Dreamliner, which is set for first delivery in 2008. Airbus's first A350 will be delivered in 2013. It takes about $1 billion to develop a brand new engine. Engine makers are already developing technology to power the replacements. CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric Co. and Safran SA of France, said last year they are in discussion with each planemaker. CFM sold about 16,400 engines last year to the narrow-body market and is the only provider of engines for the 737. Rolls-Royce Group Plc and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp., also are studying possible engines for new narrow-body airliners through their International Aero Engines joint venture. IAE had about 600 engine orders last year for the A320 family and competes with CFM for the line of aircraft. UAL fell $1.47, or 3.4 percent, to $42.01 in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. Boeing fell 46 cents to $96.89 at 4:16 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Shares of Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. fell 41 cents to 21.48 euros in Paris. To contact the reporter on this story: Susanna Ray in Chicago at Sray7@xxxxxxxxxxxxx . or James Gunsalus in New York at jgunsalus@xxxxxxxxxxxxx . <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".