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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Boeing Gives Md-95 A New Name, Mission

From Staff And Wire Reports

Boeing Co. said it would change the name of the MD-95, a 100-seat airliner it inherited from recently acquired McDonnell Douglas Corp., to the 717-200, and use the new model to tap the growing market for smaller passenger planes.

McDonnell Douglas introduced the MD-95 in 1995, with the first delivery expected in 1999. Boeing’s smallest plane now is a version of the 737 that carries 108 passengers. Boeing said it expects the world’s airlines to buy 2,500 jetliners with 80-120 seats over the next 20 years. Regional jetliners that can feed passengers from smaller cities to major airports that airlines use as hubs are selling well.

“It’s a 100-seat airplane market that demands comfort, low operating costs and high schedule reliability. This is the plane to meet that need,” Ron Woodard, president of Boeing’s Commercial Airplane Group, said in a statement.

Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas last August. In November, Boeing said development of the MD-95 would hinge on whether it can build the plane cheaply enough.