Boeing launches new Dreamliner aircraft

Planemaking giant Boeing today officially launched its new wide-seat 7E7 Dreamliner passenger aircraft on the back of a €5bn order for 50 of the new planes.

The order came from Japanese airline ANA and is the kind of deal Boeing was waiting for before going ahead with the aircraft.

Capable of journeys of more than 8,000 miles, the 7E7, which will carry 200-300 passengers, is due to enter service in 2008.

As well as having wider seats, the Dreamliner will also have wider aisles, larger windows and use 20% less fuel than comparable aircraft of today.

Seattle-based Boeing is convinced that planes like the 7E7 are the answer to future demand, while its European rival Airbus is going down the “big is beautiful” road and has launched the 550-passenger superjumbo, the Airbus A380.

Alan Mulally, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said today: “Airline interest in the 7E7 has been extraordinary.

“The size and speed of this order validates our view of the market and demonstrates the tremendous demand for the performance and value provided by the 7E7.”

He added that the company expected additional orders over the next few months.