Boeing Co. failed to reach its goal of 200 orders for the 7E7 Dreamliner in 2004, marking a lukewarm launch for its first new aircraft in a decade.
The aerospace giant finished the year with 126 announced orders for the 200- to 300-seat aircraft. Only 56 of those orders are confirmed.
"The 200 was a target. It was an aggressive goal. Not making it doesn't mean it was a bad year," said Lori Gunter, a company spokeswoman.
Boeing said it has deposits on more aircraft, which it expects to turn into orders in the coming year. The first 7E7 is scheduled for delivery in 2008.
The company launched the 7E7 with much fanfare last year, predicting that the aircraft's fuel efficiency would draw customers away from a rival model, the A330, manufactured by European competitor Airbus SAS.
Airbus, which is 80 percent owned by European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., initially played down the threat to its A330 then launched a new airplane, the A350, to compete directly with the 7E7. The company announced its first order last month for 10 A350s and has said it hopes to have 50 orders by the middle of the year.
Boeing executives were pleased by an order Wednesday for 10 7E7s from Continental Airlines Inc., the only major U.S. carrier to sign on so far. Continental plans to use the lightweight, fuel-efficient aircraft as part of its plan to expand its international operations. Some analysts believe the Continental order may prompt other big U.S. carriers to follow suit.
"They didn't make their 200, but the order from Continental has to be encouraging," said Robin Laird, a defense and aerospace consultant. "It's a validation of Boeing's business model."
The order from Continental, the world's sixth-largest airline, was valued at a list price of $1.3 billion, though the carrier probably will pay less than the list price.
"The order is a significant psychological victory for Boeing," Peter S. Jacobs, industry analyst for Ragen MacKenzie Group Inc., said in a research note. "While far short of the 200 order goal management had set out for 2004, it is nonetheless encouraging that a major U.S. airline placed an order and it is a positive indicator that the outlook for the U.S. airlines may be improving."
Boeing's other orders have largely been from Asian airlines in countries that are building and developing parts of the aircraft, including All Nippon Airways Co. and Japan Airlines Corp. The only other order from a U.S. company came from Los Vegas-based Primaris Airlines Inc., which isn't scheduled to start service until later this year.
