Boeing Commercial Airplane set the show alight yesterday with the announcement of 68 jetliner orders worth $6.3 billion.
The company also revealed it is to launch a new version of the 757 twinjet - the 757-300 which will seat 20 per cent more passengers than the 757-200. Launch customer is Condor of Germany, which may take up to 24 aircraft.
Orders, for aircraft across the existing product line, came from seven airlines, including British Airways, Airtours of the UK and ILFC, the Los Angeles-based leasing company.
"Today's announcement shows that our product family is delivering value to all parts of the market," says Boeing Commercial president Ron Woodard at the show.
"Our customers (of all types) have different strategies and different needs. But they face an increasingly competitive market and they demand products and services that deliver value in their particular market segments."
The orders include:
BA: four Boeing 747-400s, three 777-200s and three 757-200s. In addition, the carrier has reconfirmed an order for ten 747-400s and brought forward the delivery dates.
ILFC: five 757-200s, five 767-300ers and five 737s.
Ansett Worldwide: ten 737-700s, six 737-300s and nine 767-300ers
The other orders came from Air Berlin (one 737-400), Airtours (one 767-300ER), LOT Polish Airlines (two 737-400s and one 767-300ER) and Maersk Air of Denmark (three 737-500s).
The Boeing family of aircraft is set to grow with the launch of the 757-300.
Condor has "accepted a proposal" for 12 of the new aircraft (subject to final board approval) in a deal valued at $875 million.
The airline has options on a further 12. Deliveries will begin in 1999.
The 737-300's seating capacity of 225 to 289 passengers, and will offer increased cargo hold space of 40%. Boeing is also claiming the new model will have a 10 per cent lower seat-mile operating cost than the -200.
Source: Flight Daily News
