Boeing Orders

[Made in the USA]

Well, at least the Germans know where to buy good airplanes!

Boeing says airlines will step up orders to replace aging 747s
BY BRIAN PARKIN
Bloomberg News

Boeing Co., the world's second-largest manufacturer of commercial planes, predicts that sales of the 747-8 Intercontinental will pick up as airlines replace old aircraft, adding to a single commitment from Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Orders will increase between 2010 and 2013 as airlines start retiring or selling 747-400s that have been in service as long as 20 years, Drew Magill, director of marketing for Boeing's airliner division, said today in Berlin. Lufthansa is the only carrier that has placed a fleet order for the 747-8 Intercontinental, buying 20 planes for delivery from 2010, with an option for 20 more.

Boeing's 747-8 freighter have outpaced orders for the passenger version, causing some analysts to question the company's strategy to challenge competitor Airbus SAS's 555-seater A380 plane. Boeing has 103 orders for both versions of the 747-8 and plans to sell a total of 900, Magill said.

Boeing's latest 747 model is "timed just in time for replacement" of old versions of the aircraft, Magill said. "We do expect more sales."

The 747-8 Intercontinental, a twin-aisle passenger aircraft with a capacity of as many as 467 seats, offers "better economies" than the A380, such as fuel savings, Magill said. The plane is quieter and produces less carbon dioxide emissions, he added.

Airbus, a division of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., has 196 orders for the A380 from 17 customers, chief operating officer John Leahy said Feb. 20. The planemaker predicts another 30 orders this year.