Boeing Wins More Jet Orders

Boeing Co. won orders Sunday worth $13.7 billion for 112 aircraft from the airline Emirates and from China, adding to gains in new business this year over Airbus.

Emirates, the Persian Gulf’s biggest and fastest-growing carrier, bought 42 of Boeing’s long-range 777 models, worth $9.7 billion, Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Maktoum, the Emirates chairman, said at the Dubai Air Show.

The Chicago-based plane maker signed an agreement with China for 70 of the 737 models worth $4 billion during a visit to the country by President Bush.

Boeing and Airbus have recorded a doubling in airline contracts this year as increased travel and high oil costs spur demand for more-fuel-efficient planes. As of Friday, Boeing had 659 orders to 494 for Toulouse, France-based Airbus.

Airbus announced orders Sunday from Kuwait worth $2.9 billion at the air show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“Boeing is doing incredibly well this year,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of consulting company Teal Group, based in Fairfax, Va.

“For the first time in a decade they’re investing in the future, spending money on new product development. That has a galvanizing effect and reassures customers they’re committed to the market so it helps sell all their planes.”

The U.S. plane maker appears certain to beat Airbus with orders for the first time in five years. Airbus, which took the lead in deliveries over Boeing in 2003 to become the world’s largest maker of commercial aircraft, will maintain that advantage this year with a total of 370 deliveries to 290 for Boeing.

European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co., with headquarters in Munich and Paris, holds 80% of Airbus. London-based BAE Systems owns the remaining 20%.

With its agreement, Emirates will become the largest Boeing 777 operator in the world. Emirates is also scheduled to be the biggest customer of Airbus’ A380, a 555-seat plane that will begin service in 2006. Emirates has ordered 43 of the A380s.

Emirates wants the 777 model airplanes to “strengthen our long-range plans, including to the U.S.,” Maktoum said. The carrier also took options to buy 20 more of the planes.

Boeing spokesman George Liu said the company was still in talks with Chinese customers for 80 more 737 aircraft. He did not give further details or identify the airlines.

“I was pleased to see that the Chinese government ordered Boeing aircraft,” Bush told reporters in Beijing, after a day of talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Airbus gained orders from Kuwait’s Aviation Lease & Finance Co. and from Jazeera Airways.

Aviation Lease bought 12 twin-engine, long-range A350-800 jets to meet customers’ needs for better economy, said Ahmed Zabin, the company’s chief executive, at a news conference in Dubai. Airbus said the Jazeera order was for six A320s.