The US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is considering a cargo variant of the B787 "Dreamliner". This could function as an indirect successor to the B767, because its engines will probably no longer meet the new emission standards from 2028 onwards.

According to the information currently available, aircraft that already have valid certifications are not affected by the tightening of environmental regulations. It is planned that new buildings will have to meet stricter emission requirements from 2028. The Boeing 767 would currently be affected. There is no direct successor to this one.

Boeing can imagine bringing a cargo variant of the Dreamliner onto the market. Its engines would already meet the environmental requirements planned for 2028. Cargo boss Brian Hermesmeyer said, among other things, that Boeing sees this as a "natural starting point".

However, the market will decide whether the Americans will offer Cargo Dreamliners ex works. This step will only be taken if there is a corresponding demand. These are currently being evaluated. Hermesmeyer added that this basically applies to all passenger aircraft that you have in your portfolio: If there is an economically sensible demand from cargo customers, you would also offer a cargo version.

The fuselage of the Boeing 787 is mostly made of carbon fiber and not aluminum. This poses many questions for the engineers that have yet to be resolved. For example, one still has to evaluate how the structure can be strengthened, because the cargo variant requires large doors for loading and unloading. So you are currently in a kind of research phase, because at the time the Dreamliner was developed, freight versions were not yet an issue.