Leasing Company Ordered 69 Planes Last Year
Although Boeing won last year's order race with Airbus, it'll
have to keep the pressure on if it's to win again this year. Airbus
has already racked up a couple of sizeable orders with Boeing still
searching for it's first big order for 2007.
Yesterday the Chicago planemaker told ANN GE Commercial Aviation
Services (GECAS) booked a 39-airplane order including 15 Boeing
777s -- a mix of seven 777-300ER (Extended Range) passenger
jetliners and eight 777 Freighters -- and 24 Next-Generation
737-800s, but the order was actually booked last year.
When GECAS inked the deal, valued at approximately $5.34 billion
list, in 2006, Boeing listed the purchaser on its orders and
deliveries website as unidentified. Still, the order nearly doubles
the number of 777s GECAS has ordered directly from Boeing, and
increased the total number of orders placed by GECAS in 2006 to 69
airplanes. Deliveries of both the 777s and 737s will begin in 2008
and extend through 2010.
"Our airline customers tell us that the 777 is an ideal aircraft
for their long-haul passenger and cargo needs," said Henry
Hubschman, president and CEO of GECAS. "Because of this demand for
future capacity expansion in the 2008-2010 timeframe, we already
have customers lined up for many of these aircraft."
"We have nearly finished leasing all of the Next-Generation 737
aircraft we previously ordered in 2006, so these additional
aircraft will help us meet our customers' demand," Hubschman
added.
Boeing says GECAS has long been an important customer, by
offering the 737, 747, 757, 767 and 777 to operators. It says GECAS
has been highly successful in placing Boeing airplanes with
operators around the globe, including many of the world's most
prestigious airlines. Since GECAS placed its first order with
Boeing in 1995, the leasing company has accumulated 372 orders for
Boeing airplanes.
The 777 Freighter, the world's longest-range twin-engine
freighter, is based on the 777-200LR Worldliner (Longer Range)
passenger airplane. Boeing claims the 777 Freighter will have
unmatched capacity for a twin-engine freighter and is designed to
facilitate easy interlining with the Boeing 747 Freighter, billed
as the world's most popular cargo airplane.
According to information on Boeing's website, the fuel-efficient
777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin-engine jetliner
and is capable of carrying 365 passengers up to 7,880 nautical
miles. GECAS has previously ordered 14 777-300ERs, and to date, has
taken delivery of 10.
The General Electric GE90-115B, the world's largest and most
powerful jet engine, powers the 777-300ER and a derivative of that
same engine, the GE90-110B1L, powers the 777 Freighter.
The Boeing 737-800, which can seat 162 to 189 passengers,
is the best-selling version of the successful Next-Generation 737
family. The Next-Generation 737 family contributed greatly to
Boeing's victory in last year's order race racking up a record 729
net orders.