Deal for new Boeing 737 Max shorthaul jet, thought to be worth £4.6bn, revealed at Farnborough air show Boeing has announced a $7.2bn (£4.6bn) order for its next-generation shorthaul jet, the 737 Max, in its drive to trump Airbus in the commercial aircraft market this year.
The deal was unveiled at the Farnborough air show, where the aerospace industry's importance to the UK economy is being underlined by a wave of ministerial visits – led by David Cameron on Monday morning. Opening the show, Cameron said aerospace was a "real success story" and "a vitally important industry in the UK and for the future of our country and our economy".
The UK accounts for around 15% of Airbus's commercial aircraft production but it was US-based Boeing that took first advantage at Farnborough with an order from Air Lease Corporation (ALC), run by jet-leasing entrepreneur Steven Udvar-Hazy. ALC has placed a firm order for 75 737 Max planes, the revamped and more fuel-efficient version of a jet widely used by the likes of Ryanair, with rights to buy 25 more — bringing the potential value to more than $7bn.
The announcement takes the number of firm orders for the 737 Max to 539, still some distance behind Airbus and its A320neo, a re-jigged version of its A320 shorthaul workhorse, which has more than 1,300 orders. Asked when the 737 Max will overtake its rival, the new head of Boeing's commercial division, Ray Conner, said: "We are just going to keep plugging away and see where we end up."
Udvar-Hazy is a pioneer of the aircraft leasing trade, where airlines rent jets rather than acquire them. It allows carriers to obtain aircraft without paying for them up front and gives airlines the flexibility to hand aircraft back after five to six years if business dips, or keep them on if demand remains strong.
Udvar-Hazy said the 737 Max "meets the needs" of a modern airline by being up to 13% cheaper to operate than its precursor.
Fuel accounts for around a third of airline operating costs, double the proportion a decade ago, and the 737 Max and A320 neo have been well received by carriers striving to stay profitable amid high fuel prices and weak demand.
The deal represents a turnround for Boeing in the wake of comments by Udvar-Hazy at the start of the year, when he expressed doubts about the revamped 737. However, the billionaire ALC chief executive said Boeing had since come back with a "really refined design" including tweaks to the aircraft's fuselage and tail sections to make it more fuel-efficient.
Despite the A320neo's long lead, Boeing expects to edge Airbus in total commercial aircraft orders this year. Last year saw Airbus book a record number of net orders, for 1,419 aircraft compared with Boeing's 805.
However, following that initial flurry of 320neo orders, Boeing is expected to ensure a closer finish in 2012. Another 737 Max order is reportedly imminent from a further aircraft leasing company, Kuwait-based Aviation Lease & Finance, while US carrier United-Continental is also a mooted buyer. The ALC firm orders are comprised of 60 for the 737 Max-8 and 15 for the 737 Max-9 variant, which can cover longer distances.
Yorumlar
Yorum Gönder