Boeing to fly high in China with sale of 60 wide-body jets (Boeing Sells Out To China)

Seattle Times ^ | 1/29/05 | cp124

[cp124]

Boeing to fly high in China with sale of 60 wide-body jets

By Dominic Gates

Seattle Times aerospace reporter

Boeing confirmed yesterday in a Washington, D.C., signing ceremony an agreement to sell 60 of its new mid-size wide-body jets to the six major airlines in China, a deal worth $7.2 billion at nominal list prices.

Boeing also announced that the jet formerly called the 7E7 would henceforth be designated the 787, continuing the company's 7-series model numbering.

And it signaled that a substantial amount of work on the plane will be subcontracted to China.

Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Xiamen Airlines will each receive at least one jet in time for the opening of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and deliveries are expected to be complete by 2012.

All six airlines will get the long-range 223-seat model, the 787-8. Boeing did not disclose how the 60 jets would be divided among the carriers.

In a conference call with journalists, Mike Bair, who heads the new jet program, said the redesignation of the model number to 787 was carefully timed to please its Chinese customers.

"We felt it was appropriate to honor this Chinese order in some way," Bair said. "The numeral 8 is good luck in China; 787-8s for the 2008 Olympics made a nice package for them."

Since the naming of the initial 707, Boeing's first and highly successful commercial jet, all of its airliners have been named in succession based on the 7-7 formula.

Boeing had announced in June that the new plane's rudder would be made in China, at the Chengdu plant of China Aviation Industry Corp.

Bair said yesterday that additional contract work will go to China through Boeing's major subcontracting partners. This suggests that some of the major Japanese work on the 787 airframe will be farmed out to China.

"Our expectation is that there's a fair amount of this airplane that ultimately is going to be produced in China," Bair said.

Although 60 percent of the commercial jets in China today are Boeing-made, Airbus has made strong gains there in recent years.

Airbus also formalized a deal yesterday that had been announced earlier: the sale of five super-jumbo A380s to China Southern Airlines, worth about $1.4 billion at list prices.

"Long term, the Chinese have decided that they want to balance their purchases," between Boeing and Airbus, Bair said.

Geopolitics complicates sales to China. The government of the People's Republic of China has been unhappy with a prospective U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province that is only temporarily independent.

According to sources in China and the U.S., negotiations around the Taiwan issue created delay in nailing down the Boeing order, which the company had originally expected to announce in 2004.

"I can't say for sure there was a political motivation around some of that delay," Bair responded when asked about the political issues.

Bair also announced minor changes to the 787's configuration. He confirmed that the number of seats has increased slightly to 223 seats in three classes on the standard long-range 787-8; 259 seats in three classes on the 787-9 stretch version; and 296 seats in two classes on the short-range 787-3 model.

In addition, the wing span of the two longer-range models has been lengthened by four feet to 197 feet.

Bair said that the use of light, strong composites for the wings allowed this performance-enhancing adjustment without adding weight.

"With composites we can make a lot thinner wing a lot longer," Bair said.

Boeing has a list of 186 announced orders for the 787, of which 56 are firm contracts. Details of the other 130 deals, including the Chinese order, will be finalized later.

[cp124]

And it signaled that a substantial amount of work on the plane will be subcontracted to China.

Within 10 years China will be the loan superpower and the US will be another Euro-Weenie-PC-Immigrant Infested-Welfare Dependant has been.

[Moose4]

Please don't change the titles on articles.

}:-)4

[demlosers]

Boeing is getting some of that Wal-Mart money back into the US.

[maestro]

Boeing to fly high in China with sale of 60 wide-body jets to be modified into ICMB and Cruise-missile 'rack' airborn launchers?

naw

/National Security

[CasearianDaoist]

Does anyone know what sort of actual development will take place in China? I googled around but could not find any real information. Anyone in the know?

[TigersEye]

How is Boeing selling out? Are they free to build planes and sell them or not?

[Jeff Head]

The 787s being sold to China, properly configured and revised, would make one heck of a long range maritime patrol aircraft.

If the PRC helps build and construct them, they will be, at some future date, in an excellent position to make such a change...to our detriment.

Boeing is proposing just such a conversion with the less capable 737, updating them to a MMA (Multi-Mission Maritimae Patrol Aircraft) configuration to replace the aging P3C fleet of aircraft. (Which by the way, looks like a great idea for us) So they are fully aware of the possibility. Here are some pics of Boeing's proposed MMA for the US Navy using the 737.

[theFIRMbss]

>How is Boeing selling out? Are they free to build planes and sell them or not?

Check out Crichton's book
Airframe. Deals like this involve
big time transfer of

technology and
jobs. We need to wait and see
the "little" details.

[Rennes Templar]

I'd think they could build their own planes after all the tech info Clinton gave them.

[cp124]

From GE News Release
GE Power Systems has been working with Chinese suppliers to localize gas turbine manufacturing capabilities and to expand sourcing volume to serve its global customers. Its purchase of components and parts from Chinese suppliers exceeded USD 70 million in 2001 and the number is growing.


GE signed a deal with China that they build a plant in China and give them the technology. This is what Boeing is doing. We are giving away all of our tecnology. The freetraders do not care if the US is the worlds technology leader. As long as they can buy a $10 DVD player they are happy.

US worker of the future:
Paper or plastic?
Do you want fries with that?
Can I sue you?
When does my welfare check come?
I am proud to work for the government.
I will give you a sponge bath and dinner after your free surgery Mr. Illegal Immigrant.

[Squantos]

We got a little good news here in the panhandle today.....

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/10762629.htm?1c

[Jeff Head]

What does it say? Have to sign up to view it.

[Jeff Head]

Today's Free Trade has nothing to do with the Free Market

[Hostage]

GM is doing the same. Yes, the Chinese are raping American capitalism and will use the proceeds to arm themselves and provoke the USA.

[longtermmemmory]

China did the same thing with cars.

Now there is a chinese car whose parts are exact size matches for ford products.

China will make "fake" parts which are identical to boeing.

This is a security issue. The airline parts should not be contract out from overseas.

This is clinton selling secrets all over again.

The state department hacks screwing the USA yet again.

[Squantos]

We're building the president's new helicopters in Amarillo...23 of em. Bell got the contract.......

[TigersEye]

I don't disagree with your suppositions as to China's intentions or where we are headed. Does Boeing deserve the blame? I was greatly peeved that Republicans spearheaded the push to give China MFN status. We are definitely headed the Euro-weenie way but I don't think that it is a foregone conclusion that China will become a superpower. They have many internal obstacles to overcome yet. If China supercedes us it won't be as much on their merits as on our failures.

[TigersEye]

I was just getting fired up about Crichton's new book State of Fear after reading a review in Human Events. Apparently he likes to back up his works with extensive research. They're still just fiction though. No one's revived any dinosaurs yet.

[Lead Moderator]

To prevent duplication, do not alter the heading. Thanks.

[sixmil]

Right on. I knew there was something else to this story when it came out earlier this week.

Now we just have to wait for the token free traitor who will tell us airliners are buggy whips. Of course they have been telling us the same thing about TV's, but people have been paying thousands of dollars for a high tech plasma TV. The free traitors are so disconnected from reality, they really should be kept in mental wards.