Boeing may decide soon on 737 successor

SEATTLE — The head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes says the company hopes to decide "within the next several months" on whether to develop a new jetliner to succeed the best-selling 737.

Boeing is considering whether to redo the 737 or build an all-new airplane. President and CEO James Albaugh told an American Bar Association forum on aerospace Wednesday that a decision should be coming soon. He says Boeing also is determining whether to modify and upgrade its 777 jetliner.

Albaugh says the Chicago-based company still plans to deliver its first 787 early next year, more than two years behind schedule.