Company Watch - Boeing.

Aug 13, 2007

ABX Air yesterday agreed to purchase a Boeing 767-200ER from Air China and convert it to a freighter for long-haul international operations. The Wilmington, Ohio-based cargo carrier projected the total cost to purchase, modify and put the aircraft into revenue service at approximately $23 million. ABX primarily operates as a DHL subservice carrier in the US but is eager to grow non-DHL operations outside North America. "We continue to expand our presence in the ACMI charter industry and look forward to adding this aircraft to our 767s already deployed with ACMI customers serving the South American and Asia/Pacific markets," President and CEO Joe Hete said. The 767 will be delivered to ABX Air in the fourth quarter and then sent to VEM Maintenance & Engineering in Brazil for cargo conversion. It is expected to enter service in the second quarter of 2008, likely becoming the 43rd 767 in ABX's fleet. Aug 7, 2007

Air New Zealand placed four firm orders for its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft powered by GE90-115B engines, plus options for three additional aircraft, GE Aviation said in a news release. The order is valued at more than $250 million. The airline, which flies to Asia, Europe, North America and the South Pacific, also operates Boeing 737, 747 and 767 aircraft powered by CFM International engines. CFM, headquartered in Evendale, is a joint venture between GE Aviation's parent General Electric and Snecma in France. GE Aviation, based in Evendale, develops and manufactures jet engines for commercial and military aircraft. Aug 6, 2007

Pentagon will not split tanker order. The Defense Department will not split a contract for 80 new refueling tankers between multiple suppliers. Boeing and Airbus parent EADS are competing to win the lucrative deal, worth an estimated $40 billion. Aug 6, 2007

Boeing awarded Navy contract. The Navy has awarded Boeing a $19.5 million contract for work on the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Most of the work, which should be completed in early 2011, will be done in El Segundo, Calif. Aug 10, 2007

Boeing delivers first of four C-17 Globemaster IIIs. Boeing has provided the Canadian armed forces its first C-17 Globemaster III in a deal for a total of four. It is the third country outside the U.S. to secure the aircraft, following Great Britain and Australia. Aug 10, 2007

Dreamliner's first flight pushed to October. The first flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has been pushed back to October, a delay that could affect the manufacturer's ability to complete flight tests and get the new airliner certified by regulators and delivered on time. The delay stems from the complex nature of the 787's various systems and the difficulty of installing and integrating them on the plane. Aug 10, 2007

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Boeing 757-200, -200PF, and -200CB series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive inspections of the shim installation between the vertical flange and bulkhead, and repair if necessary. This new AD adds, for certain airplanes, an inspection for cracking of the four critical fastener holes in the horizontal flange, and repair if necessary. This AD results from reports of cracking in the pylon under bolts that appear to be undamaged during the existing AD inspections. Aug 10, 2007

Boeing' twin-engined 787, which is scheduled to enter service next year with Japan's All Nippon Airways, has won 684 orders to date, according to the planemaker's web site. Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney said last month that the 787's first flight had slipped to the latter part of its target of late August to late September. Boeing rolled out the first 787 from its plant in Everett, Washington, last month. Aug 8, 2007

Boeing redesigned the the KC-767 plane to make it more fuel efficient and allow it to take off and land on shorter runways, giving it more flexibility in combat situations. Boeing is competing against Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp., which has partnered up with European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. to design a tanker based on a modified Airbus A330. The $40 billion contract for 179 planes would begin replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of Boeing KC-135s. It would be the first installment in what's expected to be a three-part deal calling for more than 500 planes. Aug 7, 2007

Boeing staged a rally on the factory floor where it would build the KC-767 refueling tanker, based on its 767 passenger jetliner, emphasizing its eagerness to win back a multibillion-dollar Air Force contract. Addressing several hundred 767 employees, executives for the airplane maker and members of Washington's congressional delegation exuded confidence Monday that Boeing will win the deal. Boeing has estimated that the KC-767 contract would support more than 44,000 jobs at 300 U.S. suppliers. Aug 7, 2007

Boeing would build the KC-767 at its widebody factory in Everett on the assembly line where it has produced nearly 1,000 commercial 767 passenger and cargo jets. Additional work, including installation of military refueling systems, would take place at its finishing center in Wichita, Kan. Aug 7, 2007

Stronger than steel, lighter than aluminium. The roll-out of Boeing s Dreamliner has offered weighty proof that carbon fibre is at last being used to make big things in large quantities. But the commercial aerospace industry s entry into the market has a cost: it makes it much harder for traditional buyers of the precious lightweight material to secure their supply. The big-time entry of the aircraft makers has made it more difficult to get hold of material, says Robert Marte, who leads the racket sports division at Head in Austria. Aug 7, 2007

Boeing enjoyed a strong week last week with orders from Air New Zealand, WestJet and Ukraine's AeroSvit Airlines. ANZ is continuing to orchestrate the replacement of its 747-400s, placing a firm order for four 777-300ERs plus three options. The deal represents the conversion of price rights that were part of the carrier's 2004 order for up to 52 long-haul aircraft. The four new -300ERs, to be powered by GE90-115BLs, are worth an estimated $1.1 billion at list prices and will, according to CEO Rob Fyfe, "help us build on the great success we've had with our 777-200ERs." ANZ currently operates eight -200ERs, eight 747-400s and five 767-300ERs. It has eight 787-9s plus eight options on order. It said it plans to operate an all-777 and 787 long-haul fleet by "around" 2012. Fyfe said the aircraft "are much better suited to Air New Zealand's long-term growth strategy of serving new markets point-to-point." Aug 6, 2007

Boeing listed 65 new orders on its website last week, including the 20 737-700s ordered by WestJet. An additional seven 737-800s were signed for by AeroSvit, which also took seven options. The firm aircraft are valued at $523 million. It is the Ukrainian carrier's first direct purchase from Boeing since its founding in 1994, the manufacturer said. AeroSvit currently operates 13 737 Classics and three 767s. Boeing's order list also included 22 737s, two 747s, 13 777s and one BBJ787 listed with customers unidentified. Aug 6, 2007

The Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico has awarded Boeing a 3 1/2 -year contract to provide ongoing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support for the Marine Expeditionary Forces' ScanEagle unmanned aircraft program. Aug 6, 2007

Bell-Boeing awarded Osprey support contract. The Navy gave a $43.2 million contract boost to a joint venture between Boeing Co. and a unit of Textron for MV-22 Osprey aircraft support services. The Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office will provide planning and management services, training, support equipment and facilities management for the aircraft. Aug 8, 2007

Cathay Orders Five More Boeing 777s Boeing said on Tuesday that Cathay Pacific Airways has ordered five additional 777-300ER extended-range jets, increasing the Hong Kong-based carrier's commitment to 23 planes. Aug 8, 2007

Cathay Pacific Airways has announced that it has placed an order for five more advanced wide-body Boeing 777-300ER "Extended Range" aircraft, increasing its commitment to a total of 23 of the aircraft type.The five additional Boeing 777-300ERs will be purchased directly from the Boeing Company. In December 2005 Cathay Pacific made a commitment to acquire 16 Boeing 777-300ERs - the airline's biggest-ever order for new aircraft. Aug 7, 2007

Cathay Pacific Airways exercised options on five GE90-115B-powered Boeing 777-300ERs, increasing its commitment to the model to 23 aircraft. The conversion is part of CX's December 2005 order for 16 (with 12 directly purchased from Boeing and four leased from ILFC) plus 20 options. Last year it exercised rights for two more aircraft. Its first -300ER will be delivered next month and it will have five by year end. They will be introduced on the Hong Kong-New York JFK route from Nov. 1. Aug 8, 2007

Rolls-Royce said on Tuesday its Trent 1000 engine had received its airworthiness certification, clearing the way for the first flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. GE Aviation has also developed an engine for the 787, which is the fastest selling airliner in Boeing's history. On a date symbolizing the plane's name, (70807) the seventh day of the eighth month of 2007, officials from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) handed over the airworthiness certificate. A spokesman said the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also certified the engine on Tuesday. Aug 8, 2007

STG Aerospace's Wireless Emergency Primary Power System received an FAA STC for the Boeing 737NG family, the first in a prioritized "rollout" program of certification aimed at the entire commercial aircraft market. Aug 6, 2007

Editorial eMail: [e-mail] For Air Transport & Travel Business Experts contact our Director of Content Aram Gesar eMail: [e-mail]

For more global news, reviews, features and analysis, please subscribe to our Newsletters: http://www.airguideonline.com/order_formsubs.htm#news

To Advertise: [e-mail]

AirGuideFlightTracker is a new service that keeps travelers informed on flight and airport status via the Web. For more go to http://www.airguideonline.com/airline_tracker.htm

Copyright [c] 2007 Pyramid Media Group / Air Travel Media. All rights reserved.