(Reuters) – Aircraft leasing companies are encouraging Boeing (BA.N) to build a jet to replace its discontinued 757, but stress the priority of all planemakers must be to deliver on existing orders for bread-and-butter models after a series of delays.

Steven Udvar-Hazy, chief executive officer of Air Lease Corp (AL.N) and widely seen as one of the industry’s most influential figures, told a conference there would be demand for a new jet that seats 200 to 250 people in the next eight to 12 years.

That timeline leaves room for Boeing to focus on upgrading its smaller 737, which provides much of the Chicago-based company’s cash, while also giving engine makers time to develop improvements aimed at significant further fuel savings.

But it could represent a shift of emphasis for Boeing, which has recently been telling investors that it favors incremental improvements to existing models rather than major new products.

The last 757 was delivered a decade ago but it remains popular with U.S. airlines due to its range and performance, while its larger contemporary, the 767, is being replaced by the 787 Dreamliner.

“In the Boeing family, there might be a gap between the largest 737 and the smallest 787 as the 767 fades away,” Udvar-Hazy said at a conference organized by the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT).

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