New Boeing airplanes chief says 787 still on schedule

CHICAGO — Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliner remains on schedule for its first test flight next summer and for delivery to airlines in 2008 despite the ongoing challenge to make it lighter, the new head of the company’s commercial airplanes unit said Wednesday.

Scott Carson told an investment conference in New York that Boeing has 435 firm orders for the new jet from 35 customers along with another 21 nonbinding commitments. The continuing demand makes it “the very strongest product launch in the history of this industry,” he maintained.

Boeing officials have said since earlier this fall that they need to trim the 787’s weight significantly from parts scattered throughout the entire plane, in some cases switching from aluminum to titanium, in order to meet its promises for greater fuel efficiency.

Carson, the unit’s sales chief until September when Alan Mulally left to become CEO of Ford Motor Co., said the first six 787s, all test aircraft, will be above weight specifications. All the company’s energies are focused on the seventh and a plan is in place to get the weight off, he said.

Boeing shares rose 10 cents to close at $90.83 on the New York Stock Exchange, near last month’s all-time high of $92.05.

Sizzling demand for the 787 coupled with lengthy delays involving Airbus’ planned A380 superjumbo have enabled Boeing to seize momentum and close the gap on Airbus in the commercial airplane market. But Carson, making his first formal presentation to Wall Street, expects the competition to remain intense and said his company must fight complacency with things going so well.

•In a blow to Airbus SAS, German airline Lufthansa AG said Wednesday it would order 20 Boeing 747-8 planes, with purchase rights for 20 more, becoming the first airline to order the new long-haul jet for passenger service.

The Cologne-based airline said it would start taking delivery of the wide-body planes in 2010 as it expands into North America and Asia. The airline also approved an order for seven Airbus A340-600 long-haul jets, due for delivery by 2008. The airline, whose fleet is dominated by Airbus aircraft, already operates 13 of those planes.

Lufthansa said the order for all the planes had a list value of $6.9 billion; Boeing said its 20 firm orders had a $5.5 billion value at list prices, although customers typically negotiate discounts.