A $125 Million Price Tag For The 7E7

Boeing plans to sell the new baseline 7E7 at similar pricing to the list price of the 767-300ER, or about $125 million per copy, VP-Marketing Randy Baseler announced at Asian Aerospace 2004. That figure is viewed as being below expectations for an airplane that will not enter service before 2008.

Key to the pricing, according to Thomas Waggener, 7E7 marketing director, is the significant cost savings in the manufacturing process. Boeing executives have been touting massive savings in production costs for new commercial programs from experience gained on military programs such as the Joint Strike Fighter.

Boeing still sees two primary versions of the Dreamliner --the standard version seating around 200 in a three-class configuration with a range of 7,800 nm (14,445 km), and the SR with the same fuselage dimensions but seating up to 300 in two classes with a range of 3,500 nm (6,480 km). Ultimately, the company anticipates stretching the standard version to carry 20 percent more passengers. A third 7E7 family member, the shorter-range 7E7 will accommodate nearly 300 passengers in a two-class configuration and be optimized for routes of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km).

In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, Boeing claims the 7E7 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The company says the airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than any other wide body airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today’s fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Customers will enjoy forty- to sixty-percent more cargo revenue capacity. Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.

FMI: www.boeing.com