We'll Believe It When We See It

The on-again, off-again... on-again, off-AGAIN... Aeroflot 787 order may, believe it or not, be on again.

Citing unnamed company sources, Reuters reports the Russian flag carrier may revive a $2 billion order to purchase 22 Boeing 787s, even after agreeing to purchase Airbus A350 XWBs earlier this year. An order could come as soon as this weekend's scheduled economic forum in St. Petersburg.

"Our talks with Boeing do not mean we will cancel the deal with Airbus. We have been saying for a long time that we can exploit both models," the source said.

As ANN reported, Aeroflot ditched the Boeing order permanently -- or so it seemed at the time -- earlier this year. Boeing officials told The Seattle Times they considered the order dead in the water, victim to mounting tensions between the US and Russia over foreign policy differences. That news was followed by Aeroflot signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for 22 A350 XWBs.

If you've been following the news, you know those "mounting tensions" between the two superpowers haven't exactly waned... which makes the news of a possible Russian order for US planes all the more interesting, especially from a political angle.

In addition to earning political capital with the US -- at a time when the countries' governments are bitterly divided over a proposed missile defense shield in Europe -- an Aeroflot 787 order may also be viewed as a snub of Airbus, after the Russian government was unable to gain a larger role in parent company EADS.

Any deal for 787s may also include an increased role for Boeing in the development of the Sukhoi Superjet regional airliner. The American planemaker is already consulting with Sukhoi on that plane's design and production; any larger role would include development of personnel training and servicing centers, reports Russia's Kommersant business daily.

Last month, Aeroflot's top competitor, S7, ordered 15 Dreamliners -- making it the first Russian customer for the composite-bodied Boeing plane. The Russian government has a stake in both Aeroflot and S7, although the latter is considered a privately-owned carrier. That may have placed pressure on Aeroflot to match its competitor.

All we can say is, we'll believe it when we see it. Stay tuned... but don't hold your breath...

FMI: www.aeroflot.com, www.boeing.com