Boeing says mid-year decision on 737 line possible

Boeing Co said on Tuesday it could make a long-awaited decision on the future of its popular 737 aircraft line by the middle of this year. "We are doing a flight-test program to test improvements to the airframe and the engine to improve the efficiency of the airplane another two per cent," Randy Tinseth, the marketing vice president for Boeing's commercial aircraft division, told Reuters in Mexico City, regarding the 737 line.

"This, coupled with improvement over the last 10 years or more, means that the 737 we deliver in 2012 will be about 7 percent more fuel efficient." Separately, Boeing expects to maintain its third-quarter delivery target for the long-delayed 787 Dreamliner, Tinseth said.