Middle of the market

[8] In 2011, Boeing focused its studies on an aircraft slightly larger than the 145 to 180-seat 737 Next Generation and ruled out developing a bigger 200 seat 757-sized replacement.

[9] In 2011, Boeing was conceptualising a New Light Twin (NLT), a twin-aisle smaller than the 767 with a seven-abreast (2-3-2) economy seating and small LD3-45W containers, as it can be seen in the illustrating picture.

[23] On March 30, 2018, an A321LR test airframe carrying the equivalent of 178 passengers and crew completed a nonstop 4,750-nautical-mile (8,800 km) flight from the Seychelles to Toulouse in 11 hours.

[27] It was in response to Air Lease Corporation's Steven Udvar-Hazy comments that Boeing could do it, but Jefferies Group analyst Howard Rubel noted that 15 percent of the 757 fleet, 150 aircraft, are parked and unused, and see no urgency to fill that market niche.

[31] From 2015 onwards, Boeing continued to do studies for a clean sheet aircraft, namely the New Midsized plane, which would have greater range, capacity, and efficiency than the 757-200.

Boeing had intended to decide in 2019 whether to offer the new aircraft for sale, leading to a launch decision in 2020 and entry into service around 2025.

After the grounding of the 737 MAX, Boeing was reportedly cancelling the NMA indefinitely and scrapping the clean sheet idea to create new versions of the aging 757 and 767, tentatively called the "757-Plus and 767X.

Boeing intended to target production costs comparable to single-aisle aircraft by reutilizing existing structures, systems and engine technology.

[37] In June 2018, Airbus was considering an extended range A321XLR to predate the Boeing NMA, with the same capacity and aerodynamic design but more fuel load.