EVERETT — In its final weekly update of 2007, the Boeing Co. topped 1,200 commercial jet orders for the year, setting a new company sales record.
In late November, Boeing bested its previous yearly sales total of 1,044 net orders. The company, which will report its final orders in January, added 67 new orders this week. Industry observers still expect Boeing to fall behind rival Airbus in total orders this year.
Boeing lists 1,213 net orders so far in 2007 and 1,223 gross orders. Airbus, which updates its total monthly, said it had booked 1,204 gross orders through the end of November. The company, headquartered in Toulouse, France, announced a number of tentative agreements last month at the Dubai Air Show, which if finalized before year’s end, would push Airbus ahead of Boeing for the year, giving it bragging rights again as the top seller.
Airbus lost its orders lead to Boeing last year after holding the top spot since 2000.
Boeing announced an order from Australian carrier Qantas Airways for 31 Boeing 737s on Thursday. The order, worth about $2.3 billion at list cost, was included in the weekly total. It’s the largest single 737 order placed by Qantas for 737s. The airline previously ordered 38 737-800s in increments over the past six years.
“Qantas is a key 737 customer, and the Australian geography is one where the airplane really proves its value,” said Stan Deal, vice president, Asia Pacific Sales for Boeing.
The deal brings Qantas’ order total with Boeing to 51 airplanes during 2007, including its request for 20 787-9 Dreamliners, which the airline initially announced in July. The Dreamliner order made Qantas the second largest customer of Boeing’s 787 at 65 787s on order.
Boeing added an order for three Dreamliners for an undisclosed customer Thursday. The Chicago-based aerospace company listed an order for two 777s from Delta Air Lines and an order for 31 737s from Dublin-based leasing company AWAS.
This is the third year in a row in which Boeing has hit 1,000 jet orders or more. Boeing executives have said they still anticipate major orders from U.S. carriers, which largely have sat out the orders frenzy the last few years. International carriers such as Qantas have looked at fuel-efficient jets, including Boeing’s 787 and Airbus’ A350 as a means of cutting costs during times of high fuel prices. The only major U.S. airlines to order the 787 are Northwest and Continental.
Read reporter Michelle Dunlop’s aerospace blog at heraldnet.com to submit your guess for Boeing’s total net jet orders in 2007.
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