Company Watch - Boeing.

Apr 2, 2007

ABX Air will buy a former American Airlines 767-200 and convert it to a freighter, the Ohio-based cargo carrier announced. Cost for purchase and conversion will be approximately $20 million and the aircraft will be available for ACMI charter service by early next year. "We intend to seize opportunities to add to our Boeing 767 fleet when they become available under attractive terms," ABX President and CEO Joe Hete said. ABX has 35 767s in service, including 29 for DHL. It plans to fly 42 of the type by early next year. Mar 26, 2007

VEM completed its sixth Boeing 767 freighter conversion, its first for ABX Air, in Rio de Janeiro. ABX's second of five aircraft already is undergoing conversion. VEM is working in conjunction with Israel Aerospace Industries. Mar 27, 2007

Aeroflot, indicating that it would be Boeing 777 bound, the russian airlinee has changed its mind and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 22 Airbus A350XWB aircraft, although no delivery date has been specified. Mar 29, 2007

American will speed up delivery of new jets American Airlines says it will receive the first of 47 Boeing 737-800s on order years ahead of schedule. The new planes will replace American's fleet of aging MD-80s. Boeing will deliver the planes in 2009-2012 instead of 2013-2016. Mar 29, 2007

Avianca orders 10 Boeing 787s, is first South American Dreamliner customer Avianca Airlines placed a firm order for 10 Boeing 787s valued at $1.5 billion, becoming the first airline in South America to order the aircraft. Mar 30, 2007

Avianca Airlines To Buy 10 Boeing 787s. Boeing said on Wednesday that Colombian air carrier Avianca Airlines has ordered 10 of its 787 Dreamliners. Mar 29, 2007

Boeing's 787 programme has taken a major step forward with the delivery, by air, of two fuselage sections from the Alenia Aeronautica plant, Grottaglie (Italy) to Charleston, South Carolina (USA). Lift was provided by a Boeing Dreamlifter freighter, a modified cargo version of the 747. Once at Charleston various items will be added and the sections then delivered by rail to the Boeing Everett plant in Seattle. Alenia Aeronautica accounts for 14% of the aircraft structur Mar 29, 2007

Boeing has cleverly stage-managed the rollout of its flagship 787 to occur on the date which - at least in the American calendar - exactly matches the aircraft's designation, 8 July, 2007. The event, which observers had suspected would be on 7/8/(0)7 for some time, is hugely significant for Boeing, which looks as if it could surpass the 500 orders mark by the time of the rollout, making it the fastest selling wide-bodied airliner in history. Mar 29, 2007

Boeing takes cautious approach to jetliner production Boeing is increasing jetliner production gradually even as a recovery in the airline industry boosts demand for the planes. "We really do want to produce as many airplanes as we can, but we want to be responsible about it," Jim McNerney, Boeing's chairman and chief executive, says in an interview. The company booked record orders in 2006. Mar 26, 2007

Boeing closes on three-digit order book for 747-8 family. Vicious battle envisaged as widebody goes head-to-head with A380 for major deals. Boeing has reached the 1,500 order milestone for the 747 program amid rising optimism from the company that it can reach the 100-order mark for the recently launched 747-8 variant within months. Meanwhile, International Lease Finance chairman and chief executive Steven Udvar-Hazy says a battle royal is brewing between the new Boeing giant and the Airbus A380 as the two sides compete for some key customers. Mar 26, 2007

Boeing will deliver two 737-700s to Nigerian startup Arik Air next month. It currently operates two -300s, seven Bombardier CRJs and two turboprops. Mar 30, 2007

British Airways finalized last month's order for four Boeing 777-200ERs valued at more than $800 million plus options for four more of the type. British Air has said the compatibility of the 777-200ERs, scheduled for delivery in 2009, with the 43 777s in its existing fleet was the key driver behind the order. Mar 28, 2007

Crane Aerospace & Electronics was selected by Boeing to supply the onboard weight and balance system for the 777 freighter. Crane's AirWeighs system uses the landing gear struts as scales to determine the load-bearing pressure at each strut to calculate weight and balance measurements. To date, nine customers have placed 56 orders for the 777F. Mar 28, 2007

Indonesian airline to buy 25 Boeing jetliners PT Garuda Indonesia says it has signed a purchase agreement for 25 Boeing 737-800 airplanes. The value of the purchase is up to $1 billion, and Boeing will start delivering the planes in 2009. Mar 27, 2007

Garuda looking ahead despite Indonesian safety crisis Days after the release of an Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation report that found that none of the country's 20 major airlines meets all safety standards and just three weeks after it suffered a fatal 737-400 accident in Yogyakarta, Garuda Indonesia appears to be planning for the future with a significant 737NG order and a return to profitability. Mar 27, 2007

Garuda Indonesia yesterday confirmed its widely reported order for 25 Boeing 737-800s, saying on its website that it will take delivery of eight aircraft in the May-December 2009 period, 10 in 2010, five in the final five months of 2011 and a pair in the first two months of 2012. It did not announce an engine choice, nor did Boeing confirm the order. Garuda also confirmed it will begin taking delivery of 10 787-8s in 2011 Mar 26, 2007

US FAA probes GE90 A US Federal Aviation Administration investigation is under way into an apparent contained engine failure that caused a Continental Airlines General Electric GE90-94B-powered Boeing 777-200ER to abort take-off at New York Newark last week. GE says ground personnel observed "a flash of fire" from the number two engine during the take-off roll. GE, which is working on the investigation, says this type of failure has not occurred on a GE90-94B engine before. Mar 26, 2007

Thai Airways board announced approval of the sale of two Airbus A300-600s that will leave the fleet by June and the purchase of a Boeing 747-400 the airline has been leasing since 1997 when the contract expires in April 2008. Mar 30, 2007

Qantas will boost its domestic operation with nine new Airbus A320s to be delivered over a 15-month period from late 2007 and used by Jetstar. The company is girding itself for the arrival of Tiger Airways Australia, which aims to challenge Qantas with a low-cost product. In addition, Qantas said four Boeing 767-300s used in international operations and scheduled to be sold instead will be transferred to domestic routes in the middle of this year. "The additional capacity for both Jetstar and Qantas, along with previously announced plans for QantasLink, should enable the Qantas Group to maintain its 65% share of the Australian domestic market," CEO Geoff Dixon said. Jetstar will use the new A320s on popular leisure routes and "to look at new destinations within Australia," he said. Mar 29, 2007

Editor: Aram Gesar, eMail: [e-mail] For Air Transport & Travel Business Experts contact eMail: [e-mail]

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Mar 26, 2007