Aviation News, Boeing, Airbus

Spirit AeroSystems Inc celebrated the construction of the 5,000th Boeing 737 fuselage yesterday (13 December).

Four Boeing 737-NG aircraft are to be purchased by China Eastern Airlines Corp for approximately USD228m, the Shanghai-based airline revealed on Wednesday (21 December).

The agreement was reportedly signed by the airline on Tuesday (20 December) in Shanghai.

The purchase is to be financed by bank loans, and according to Reuters this will raise the carrier’s debt ratio temporarily but will have no impact on its cash flows and overall operations.

According to the airline, the new aircraft are scheduled for delivery from August 2007 to October 2008 and they will be used by China Eastern to support short-distance domestic flights.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co has revealed that development of a stretch version of its new 787 jet is “highly likely” and confirmed it is holding discussions with airlines including Qantas Airways Ltd and Emirates Airlines.

Australian airline Qantas Airways has announced a decision to acquire Boeing aircraft in its fleet renewal programme.

The airline has placed a firm order with the US manufacturer for 65 Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft, with options for a further 50 of the new model.

Boeing Co revealed on Wednesday (21 December) that it is on schedule to deliver 112 of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft in 2008-9. This compares with the airline’s previous estimate of 96 aircraft.

The airline also revealed that it is still on target to get the new aircraft into service in summer 2008 and it will have received 254 orders by the end of 2005.