Says Smallest Dreamliner Is "Too Heavy"

Talk about piling on. One day after announcing his company planned to seek significant compensation from Boeing over delays with its 787 Dreamliner, the outspoken chief of International Lease Finance Corporation criticized the smallest variant of the composite-bodied airliner as "too heavy."

In an interview with a trade publication, and reported by The Seattle Times, Steven Udvar-Hazy (right) said the short-range 787-3 variant is too heavy to appeal to any carriers outside of Japan.

"The -3 doesn't quite do it," Hazy said in comments at the 2008 Singapore Air Show.

Hazy has been outspoken in his critiques of several airliners, from both Boeing and Airbus. His comments regarding Airbus' original design for its A350 prompted that planemaker to thoroughly revamp the design... somewhat ironically in this context, making it more like Boeing's plan for the 787.

ILFC is Boeing's largest single 787 customer, accounting for 74 of Boeing's 857 orders for the upcoming widebody airliner. Most of those orders are for the long-range 787-8 model; the planemaker currently has only 43 orders for the -3, from two customers -- All Nippon Airways, and Japan Airlines.

The 787-3 -- which sports a smaller wingspan than other Dreamliner models, intended to fit better at Japanese airports -- was designed to attract ANA as a launch customer for the then-7E7 in 2004.

Hazy has also openly called for an even larger Dreamliner variant, bigger still than the current 787-9 range-topper. He alleges development of the -10 version has slowed, due to extra weight on the base model. The concern is that if the smallest Dreamliner is a bit chunky... larger versions will be, too.

Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter downplayed Hazy's comments, stating Boeing remains committed to building the 787-3, and it's too early to speculate on the planemaker's plans for future models.

"The production line is sold out basically through 2016," she noted. "Moving forward with any great speed on a future derivative ... just doesn't make sense."

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.ilfc.com