Boeing Defence Australia has opened a new defence test facility at Wacol south of Brisbane to support its work on Project Currawong.

Boeing has replaced the head of its commercial airplanes business as the global grounding of the 737 MAX stretches into a seventh month.

Boeing says the airlines of Oceania will require 820 new aircraft in the two decades ahead to meet the expected demand for air travel.

The Boeing board has appointed its independent lead director David Calhoun as non-executive chairman, splitting the chairman and chief executive roles that were both previously held by Dennis Muilenburg.