Company Watch - Boeing.

For more company news, data and analysis, please go to: http://www.airguideonline.com/professional.htm Aug 28, 2006

Aircastle Investment Holdings said Friday that one of its subsidiaries agreed to acquire six 737-700s leased to Danish LCC Sterling Airlines from affiliates of AP Moeller-Maersk Group for an estimated $165 million. Four of the acquisitions were completed Aug. 17 and Aircastle expects to finalize the remaining two by Aug. 31. Aug 21, 2006

Australia orders four Boeing C-17s. Boeing has signed a $780 million contract to build four C-17 aircraft for the Australian Air Force. Boeing will complete work on the contract in four phases by February 2008. Aug 27, 2006

Boeing now sole bidder for South Korea surveillance planes. Boeing is now the sole bidder for a $2 billion contract to build surveillance planes for South Korea. South Korea recently dropped Israeli Aircraft Industries from the competition. The government will ask Boeing to submit a bid later this year. Aug 27, 2006

Boeing secures joint venture with Russian titanium firm. Boeing has created a joint venture with Russian titanium company VSMPO-Avisma to produce titanium parts for Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner. Boeing says the agreement will increase efficiency and cut waste of the expensive metal. The company currently gets half of its titanium from VSMPO-Avisma.

Aug 27, 2006

Boeing unveils new radar jamming jet. Boeing on Thursday unveiled the Navy's first EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. The plane, a next-generation radar jamming jet, will take its first flight later this month and join the Navy's fleet in 2009. Boeing will produce 90 planes as part of a $9 billion project. Aug 27, 2006

Air Force reviews C-17 payment to Boeing. The Air Force is continuing its review of a $412 million contract adjustment Boeing received on the C-17 aircraft program in November 2000. The Air Force may eventually ask Boeing to return a portion of the payment if it determines the payment was excessive. A Boeing spokesman says the entire sum could be subject to renegotiation. Aug 27, 2006

Boeing would build tankers in Everett. Boeing would build Air Force supply tankers in Everett, Wash., if it wins the contract, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's James Wallace writes. The Air Force next month is expected to issue a request for proposals, and a final request is expected in January. Aug 23, 2006

Air Force says problems will delay GPS satellite launch. The Air Force says problems Boeing is having completing the latest generation of global positioning system satellites will delay their launch by at least 16 months. In a statement, Boeing says the difficulties, which include technical issues and late hardware deliveries from a subcontractor, "were not atypical for advanced spacecraft development projects." Aug 23, 2006

Boeing announced the rollout of the first 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter last week in Taipei. It is the first of three aircraft that will transport major assemblies for the 787. It will undergo initial flight testing this month in Taipei before finishing in Seattle. Aug 22, 2006

Boeing apparently also has decided to lengthen the 747-8 Intercontinental to the same length as the 747-8F to meet demands for greater capacity. Currently, the passenger variant has a 3.6-m. stretch and the freighter is stretched by 5.6 m. Lengthening the passenger version to match the freighter adds 20 seats, plus an additional 12 when combined with overhead galley cart storage, lifting passenger capacity to 496 in a standard Boeing three-class configuration. It is expected that the stretch will be confirmed at a 747-8 airline conference to be held in Hong Kong the first week of September. Boeing has been working with 25 carriers interested in the passenger version to determine range/payload definition. Range of the larger 747-8 will remain the original 8,000 nm. after wind tunnel gains earlier this year lifted the baseline aircraft to 8,300 nm. The manufacturer has sold 143 747-400s and 747-8s since early 2000 and 74 in the past 18 months. Aug 22, 2006

Boeing set to announce new 747-8F customers, stretched Intercontinental. Boeing looks set to announce more customers for its 747-8F as it closes the case for stretching the Intercontinental version.According to US sources, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, will order up to 12 747-8Fs. The carriers currently operate a combined fleet of 37 747s including 20 Classics. Last week, Atlas President and CEO William Flynn said that airline would announce a freighter order shortly. This website also understands that another freight operator is close to an order for both dash 8Fs and 777Fs. Aug 22, 2006

Boeing logged another 787 order for its BBJ unit, bringing the number of Dreamliners sold as VIP transports to three. Aug 21, 2006

End of Boeing's C-17 program will result in job cuts. Thousands of U.S. aerospace workers could lose their jobs as Boeing shuts down its C-17 cargo plane program. Boeing plans to start producing planes at a slower pace and end the program by mid-2009. Aug 21, 2006

AMC Airlines of Egypt yesterday took delivery of its second of four 737-800s leased through GECAS. Aug 24, 2006

Boeing announced that China Airlines will use the Maintenance Performance Toolbox and will be the first carrier to use it in conjunction with Boeing's Maintenance and Engineering Management application, which CI adopted last year. Aug 24, 2006

Connexion gives Boeing a lesson in diversification. Boeing's decision to shut down its Connexion high-speed wireless unit demonstrates how difficult it is to diversify operations, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Bill Virgin writes. Still, he says total reliance on a single core business has risks, and the failure of Connexion is not likely to deter Boeing from seeking new businesses. Aug 22, 2006

Boeing's decision to abandon its Connexion project is not going down well with the airlines. Etihad has followed Lufthansa in publicly getting annoyed with Boeing. "Our experience with Connexion is very good and our guests are keen to use it. We are talking to Boeing in terms of short and long-term solutions by looking at a number of options," said Ian Fergusson-Brown, spokesman for Etihad Airways. "The airline is keen to meet customer expectations and our goal is to put the system into the backs of the seats. This is important for our guests to access the Internet," Brown told Gulf News. Currently, Connexion by Boeing is fitted on Etihad's Boeing 777 aircraft and plans are under way to introduce the system on the Airbus fleet. Other airlines, including Korean, are talking about compensation. Aug 26, 2006

Boeing yesterday redelivered a 747-400 converted freighter to Korean in Seattle. Modification work was performed by TAECO. Aug 23, 2006

Monarch Airlines placed an order for six 787-8s with purchase rights on an additional four. The order is worth $916 million at list prices. The UK airline said the Dreamliners will form the core of its future long-haul fleet, which currently comprises A330s, A300s and 767s. The 787s are scheduled for delivery from the end of 2010 though 2013. "Operating successfully in the leisure market requires flexible and innovative products. With the 787's longer-range capabilities, we will be opening up new destinations in the Americas, Asia and Africa," CEO Peter Brown said. Monarch, headquartered at Luton, currently operates a fleet of 28 aircraft (20 Airbus and eight Boeing) serving more than 100 destinations. Services are split between scheduled and charter flights, with the airline carrying more than 6 million passengers annually. Aug 21, 2006

Lucent joins Boeing team on bid for border security pact. Boeing has included Lucent Technologies in its team competing for a $2 billion Department of Homeland Security contract to develop systems to help secure U.S. borders. Lucent will bring its wireless and network management and integration expertise plus Bell Labs research capabilities to the effort. Aug 27, 2006