Boeing bags 35 new orders for recently unveiled 787 Dreamliner

Chicago-based Boeing Co. on Saturday announced that it has bagged 35 more orders for its new 787 Dreamliner. The new orders came hours before the plane was introduced at the US manufacturer's plant in Seattle.

US plane maker said that two companies, German low-cost airline Air Berlin and ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company of Kuwait have placed their orders for 35 new 787 Dreamliners.

Air Berlin ordered 25 Dreamliners, while ALAFCO is taking 10, Boeing said on Saturday. After the 35 new orders, together worth $5.62 billion at list prices, Boeing now has 677 firm orders from 47 customers for the midsize, long-haul jet.

The order for 25 Dreamliners from Air Berlin, headquartered in the German capital, is the biggest single order for the lightweight, fuel-efficient plane from a European carrier, Boeing said. Besides the 25 firm orders, the airline also secured 10 options and 15 purchase rights for additional 787s, Boeing said.

ALAFCO’s new order for 10 planes would compliment its previous order for 12 787s it ordered in March. While the earlier orders are to be placed with Kuwait Airways, it is still ambiguous where the 10 new orders would be placed.

First unveiled at Boeing's Everett, Washington, plant on Sunday, the new plane's first test flight is scheduled this year in August or September, with the first delivery to a customer, Japan's All Nippon Airways Co., in May 2008.

According to Boeing, 787, company’s first all-new plane since the 777 which began flying in 1995, is likely to enter service in 2009. The Dreamliner will carry between 210 and 330 passengers, depending on the seating configuration. It is the first major commercial jet to use composite material for most of its construction.

With its super efficiency, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has passenger pleasing looks and features. It uses 20 percent lesser fuel than other airplanes of its size. Customers would enjoy 40-60 percent more cargo revenue capacity. The computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing contribute to safety of the passengers. More than half of it is made from lightweight composite materials, dropping the amount of fuel that burns per passenger. It can fly up to 15,700 kilometers.

The 40-year old Boeing has a global resource of 155,000 employees in 67 countries. It is considered to be the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. According to its website, the company has nearly 12,000 commercial jetliners in service worldwide, which is roughly 75 percent of the world fleet.

Germany-based Airbus is the chief rival of Boeing. Owned by European Aerospace, Defense & Space Co, Airbus was founded 35 years ago. Employing 55, 000 people, it is considered to be the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircrafts.

Shares of the U.S. aerospace giant shares jumped 52 cents to close at $98.88 on Friday.