Boeing Company said Thursday it finalized a deal with British Airways, recording 790 orders for its long-awaited 787 Dreamliner airplane during the last three years. British Airways' order for 24 Dreamliners gives the airplane one of the industry's most successful launches ever, despite the fact that the jetliner has yet to undergo flight tests. The U.S. aerospace giant expects to fly the first 787 at the end of the first quarter of 2008 and begin deliveries in late November or December. It expects to delivery 109 of the 787s in 2009. The Dreamliner, Boeing's first newly designed jet since airlines started flying the 777 in 1995, will be the world's first large commercial airplane made mostly of light, durable, and less-corrosive carbon-fiber composites. Boeing says its new jetliner will be cheaper to maintain and offer better fuel efficiency and more passenger comforts than current airplanes. British Airways placed options for another 18 Dreamliners and purchase rights for an additional 10. The deal is worth $4.4 billion at list prices, though carriers usually negotiate significant discounts on large orders. “This order is a vote of confidence from one of the world's leading global network carriers in the 787's unprecedented performance,” said Martin Dailey, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' vice president of sales for Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. Boeing's Dreamliner success comes as its European rival Airbus struggles with its two-level A380 jumbo jet and its mid-range A350. Wiring and other technical problems delayed delivery of the A380 by two years.
