Boeing Beats Out Airbus for $7 Billion Order

Boeing, the world’s no. 2 commercial airplane maker, won an order from Air India for 50 passenger jets valued at as much as $6.9 billion, the second victory over larger rival Airbus SAS in two days.Air India, the nation’s biggest overseas carrier, plans to purchase 23 Boeing 777s and 27 of the company’s 787 Dreamliners. Approval of the purchase from the Indian government is required, the state-owned airline said in Mumbai yesterday.Air Canada ordered 32 planes valued as much as $6.1 billion, it was announced on Monday, including 14 of the 787s.Chicago-based Boeing is counting on the fuel-efficient Dreamliner, its first new plane in 15 years, to recoup the industry lead within two to three years from Airbus, which has yet to win board approval to begin production on a competing model known as the A350.“The order flow is starting to go Boeing’s way,” said an analyst at CIBC World Markets in New York, Myles Walton, who has a “market-weight” rating on Boeing and doesn’t own the shares. “The A350 isn’t getting the play Airbus was hoping for. The 787 is absolutely boxing them out.”Air India rejected a proposal from Airbus for the orders, the largest ever by an Indian airline. The carrier, which has split its fleet between Airbus and Boeing, expects the jets to fulfill its needs until 2012.Shares of Boeing fell 58 cents to $59 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have climbed 36% in the past year.Air India’s chairman, V. Thulasidas, 57, is buying new planes because of mounting competition from Indian and overseas airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Deutsche Lufthansa. Winning Air India’s bid helps Boeing catch up with Airbus in India, where local carriers have chosen twice as many aircraft made by the Toulouse, France-based company than by Boeing.Indian carriers are buying and leasing planes as economic expansion in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy stokes demand for business and leisure travel.Air India needs more planes to expand its network to cities such as Melbourne and Toronto and increase flights to New York and London. It faces increasing competition from India’s private airlines such as Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines, which will start flying to America and Britain this year.Airbus expects Indian carriers to buy 570 planes through 2023, and Boeing expects India to buy $35 billion of planes in the next 20 years.“We have never seen interest like we have with the 787,”said the head of Boeing’s 787 program, Michael Bair, during a conference call with reporters from Seattle. “It’s really gratifying to see airlines from all over world, with different business models endorsing the plane.”The twin-engine 787 was designed to replace older 757 and 767 models. It can carry from as many as 289 passengers and is 20% more fuel-efficient than existing models. About 50% of the new plane by weight will be made from carbon-fiber composites, making the plane lighter, easier to repair, and corrosion-resistant, all of which will reduce maintenance costs.Boeing has proposals pending with 27 customers for 449 of the new planes, Mr. Bair said. The aircraft maker has 217 commitments for the plane from 18 customers, with 69 of them being so-called firm orders. Ethiopia Airlines has formalized orders for five planes, he said.“We’re beginning to see some sizable orders from airlines,” said Paul Nisbet, an analyst at JSA Research in Newport, R.I., who has a “buy” rating on Boeing and doesn’t own the stock. “That will translate into increases in the bottom line.”New engines for the plane, made by General Electric and Rolls-Royce Group, are being designed for fuel efficiency. General Electric is the only supplier of the 777 engines.Boeing’s 777-300ER, its most expensive aircraft, has a list price of $218 million to $245.5 million. The 787 costs $120 million. List prices do not include discounts usually given to airline customers for large orders.

Boeing Beats Out Airbus for $7 Billion Order

Boeing Beats Out Airbus for $7 Billion Order

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