Aircraft

Boeing expects to deliver between 440 and 445 commercial aircraft this year and is forecasting an increase of at least 75 in 2008.

Deliveries in 2008 are "essentially sold out”, says the airframer in a statement revealing a consolidated first quarter net profit increase of 27% to $877 million. Boeing says it anticipates aircraft deliveries in 2009 “to be higher than in 2008”.

Revenue for the compay's Commercial Airplanes unit is projected to be between $32.5 billion and $33 billion in 2007, and operating margin guidance is greater than 10%.

For 2008, revenue is expected to grow to between $39 billion and $40 billion accompanied by margin expansion to approximately 11%. Consolidated revenue guidance for 2007 is between $64.5 billion and $65 billion, and 2008 revenues are predicted to be between $71 billion and $72 billion.

Boeing says its predictions for 2007 and 2008 reflect "strong performance from core businesses, higher commercial airplane deliveries, lower R&D [research and development] in 2008, and company wide productivity gains.”