Carson Says Orders Will Continue To Decrease

There's been no official statement from Boeing on a revised airliner delivery schedule following a 57-day strike my the International Association of Machinists, but the Wall Street Journal is reporting sources familiar with the matter say deliveries will be set back 10 weeks.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Scott Carson held a conference call with investors Wednesday, but declined to offer specifics.

BusinessWeek reports he did predict that the airliner ordering frenzy has peaked, and orders during 2008 will be down from last year. "This year will certainly be a lower orders year than the previous three, which were unbelievably strong. Everything that we see in the world today would suggest that next year will be down."

Boeing has a total backlog of 3,734 airliners. Some airlines are anxious to get their planes, especially those waiting to retire older, less fuel-efficient jets. Other airlines losing revenue during the economic slump are quietly thankful that the strike will allow them to postpone deliveries without paying penalties.

FMI: www.boeing.com