Signature of a contract with Qantas Airways for an additional 31 737-800s has boosted Boeing's orders for 2007 beyond the 1,200-aircraft mark. Including the Qantas deal, worth $2.3 billion at list prices, Boeing booked 67 orders for the week ending 18 December, taking its total net intake to 1,213.

Boeing had already surpassed its previous record order intake, 1,044 aircraft in 2006, but is expected to end the year behind Airbus, which had booked 1,095 net orders by the end of November. Combined orders are therefore expected to exceed 2,400, up from 1,843 in 2006 and beating the 2005 record of 2,057.

Qantas 737NG
                                                                                                          © Boeing

This is Boeing's last weekly order update for 2007. The next will be in January. The 67 orders added for the week included the 31 737s for Qantas, another 31 737s for lessor AWAS, two 777s for Delta Air Lines and three unidentified 787s.

For the year to 18 December, Boeing has booked net orders for 713 737s, 16 747s, 36 767s, 131 777s and 317 787s. The total includes 22 aircraft aircraft for Boeing Business Jets: 17 737s, one 747 and four 787s.

The biggest year-over-year increase is in orders for the 787, up from 157 in 2006, but the 767 and 777 also saw increases while orders for the 737 slipped slightly from a year earlier and sales of the 747 were down from the total of 72 in 2006.

 

Source: FlightGlobal.com