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.

FMI: www.boeing.com