US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has abandoned plans to build a larger version of its highly successful 747 airliner, which had been described as the 'Super Jumbo'.
Instead, the company will concentrate on a smaller, faster plane, called the Sonic Cruiser, which is designed to travel longer distances at close to the speed of sound.
The decision means Boeing will not be competing with the European Airbus A380 plane, which is being developed to carry up to 550 passengers and which has already been ordered by six airlines.
Boeing says heavy and unfair subsidising was involved in developing the European plane.
The US firm says its new plane will fly at heights up to 41,000 feet, several thousand feet higher than the current commercial fleet, boosting efficiency and avoiding tie-ups with slower traffic. Boeing expects the Sonic Cruiser to take to the skies in 2006 or 2008.
