Company Watch - Boeing.

Oct 16, 2006

Boeing 2006 sales ahead of 2005 total. Boeing Commercial Airplanes is on a pace to exceed its record sales result of last year, when it booked net orders for 1,002 aircraft. Through the first nine months of 2006, the manufacturer received orders for 736 aircraft, up from 643 in the year-ago period. Oct 13, 2006

Boeing September sales were particularly strong, with orders for 175 aircraft comprising 118 737NGs, 28 747s, four 767s and 25 787s. In September 2005, Boeing sold 24 aircraft comprising two 737s, 15 777s and seven 787s. Oct 13, 2006

Boeing had another robust week, with orders for an additional 16 747s, four 767s and one 787 listed on its website. The customers are unidentified. it seems that 14 of the 747s are dash 8Fs going to two customers while the remaining two are VIP aircraft listed as Boeing BBJs along with the order placed in June for one 747-8 Intercontinental. The single 787 also is a BBJ, bringing VIP orders to four. Total orders for the year now stand at 723 net of cancellations. Interestingly, 747 sales have nearly equaled Airbus's A380 sales since that aircraft was launched. A380 firm sales stand at 159 while the 747-400 and 747-8 have a combined 156. Of those, 89 have been sold in the past 20 months. Oct 9, 2006

Boeing Looks To Benefit From Airbus Crisis. Boeing stands to widen its lead in wide-body orders as rival Airbus grapples with persistent production delays and a leadership crisis, analysts said on Monday. Oct 9, 2006

Emirates also is looking at the 747-8 Intercontinental, not as an A380 replacement but to fit between the 777-300ER and A380, Clark noted. And he suggested that EK is about six months away from ordering either the 787 or A350 XWB. Oct 13, 2006

Emirates commits to 747-8 freighter, maintains interest in Intercontinental. Emirates confirmed Sunday that it is the customer for 10 of the 747-8Fs listed by Boeing last week as unidentified. Emirates said "Our order for the 747-8Fs will be essential in helping us service our rapidly growing network of 28 freighter destinations," Al-Maktoum said. But what is drawing attention is what is being said behind the scenes, as EK now is seen as the likely launch airline for the 747-8 Intercontinental. It was examining the passenger version back in May and one executive said that it was very interested in the aircraft for Dubai-US West Coast operations. Emirates took purchase rights on a further 10. The contract signed in Dubai by Chairman and CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum cemented the order announced at the Farnborough Airshow. The firm order is valued at approximately $2.8 billion at list prices. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2010. Oct 9, 2006

Emirates is examining capacity options to compensate for delayed A380s and may exercise 20 purchase rights for 777-300ERs placed last year when it ordered 24 777-300ERs, 10 777-200LRs and eight 777Fs. It originally included two A380 freighters among its order for 45 of the type but converted those to passenger versions in May. Oct 9, 2006

Emirates President Tim Clark has confirmed that discussions with Boeing are ongoing regarding specifications for the 747-8I. The carrier was thought to be interested in the type as a replacement for the order for 18 A340-600IGWs cancelled earlier this year, although Airbus still shows it on its order book. Oct 9, 2006

Boeing and Singapore Airlines yesterday finalized SIA's order for 20 787-9s with purchase rights for 20 more. The order is valued at more than $4.5 billion. SIA first announced its intent to purchase the Dreamliners in June. Boeing said yesterday that the aircraft will be delivered from 2011 through 2013. "The carrier intends to use the new airplanes on routes to North Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East," the manufacturer said. It added that it has booked firm orders for 422 787s from 33 customers. SIA has not made an engine selection. Oct 12, 2006

Boeing's Web-based Maintenance Performance Toolbox will be used by Skymark Airlines of Japan for its three 737NGs. Oct 11, 2006

Gol 737-800 crash investigators have concluded that the ExcelAire Legacy 600 had its transponder switched off before colliding with the passenger aircraft, Estado de Sao Paulo reported. The transponder, which alerts air traffic controllers to a plane's position, apparently was turned on after the midair collision. The Legacy's two American pilots, who are being held in Brazil for questioning, have denied turning off the transponder. Estado said investigators determined that the Legacy, which landed safely, flew just underneath the larger jet, cutting off part of the dash 800's right wing and a stabilizer. The collision sent the Gol plane plunging into dense Amazon rain forest, killing all 154 passengers and crew. Oct 10, 2006

NavAero said its tBagC22 received an STC as a Class 2 Electronic Flight Bag on A320 family aircraft. The EFB will be deployed first by Virgin America. NavAero also received an STC for its Class 2 EFB for MD-10/-11 series aircraft. Although it did not disclose the name of the launch customer, it is believed to be FedEx. Oct 13, 2006

Editor: Aram Gesar, eMail: [e-mail]

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Oct 9, 2006