Boeing Extends Lead over Airbus at Air Show with 14 Plane Orders

Boeing Co. extended its lead over European rival Airbus Wednesday, with orders for 14 of its passenger and cargo planes.

Boeing said that plane leasing company International Lease Finance Corp. has exercised an option to purchase a total of 10 planes - six 737-800s, two 777-300ERs and two 787 Dreamliners - in a deal worth around US$1.2 billion (euro958 million) at list prices.

"These airplanes reflect our confidence in the market going forward and our commitment to Boeing and its product line," said ILFC Chief Executive Steven F. Udvar-Hazy.

ILFC was the first leasing company to be announced as a Dreamliner customer.

"As our largest leasing customer, ILFC has great influence on the market and we appreciate its affirmation of our product line," said John Feren, Chicago-based Boeing's vice president of leasing and asset management.

Deliveries of the 737s and the 777s will begin in the first quarter of 2009 and deliveries of the 787s will begin in early 2012.

Boeing also announced a nonbinding agreement to sell Indian cargo airline Flyington Freighters four 777 freighters. Boeing said that deal was subject to the carrier obtaining the necessary statutory clearances.

The new deals added to Boeing's order book at the Farnborough International Airshow, one of the biggest events on the aviation calendar, as troubled rival Airbus struggled to keep up.

Airbus said Wednesday that its corporate jetliner arm has won a new order from an undisclosed European customer, taking firm orders of the company's executive and private aircraft in 2006 to a record 14.

Airbus did not disclose which of its corporate jets was ordered or its list price.

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