What a month it’s been for Boeing. First came news that Air Lease Corporation (ALC) finalized its order for four 787-9s. ALC also exercised options for four 737-800s. The order with a list-price value of over $1.2 billion was the completion of an agreement announced during the Paris Air Show in June. Then came Southwest as first customer to finalize an order for 150 MAXs and they also became launch customer. The carrier also ordered 58 737NGs. The Southwest firm order is the largest in Boeing history both in dollar value, nearly $19 billion at list prices, and the number of airplanes. Today Boeing announced another whopper – FedEx ordered 27 767-300Fs and has exercised existing options for two additional 777Fs. No price was shared on the FedEx deal.
On top of the orders, Boeing has seen its first two delivered 787s do well at ANA – with the customer saying good it is. The 787 set two world records, setting marks for both speed and distance for the airplane’s weight class.
Then there was the great news about an agreement with the IAM.
As good as the news has been, there are few more business day in the month. Will we get more news?
If Boeing can deliver four more 787s to ANA by the end of the year then it’ll be icing on the cake.
Etihad ordered 10 789s & 2 777s as well.
Nicely done you guys. B has been in such a mess for so long over the 787 and 748 that it is easy for me at least to let my continuing disgust and rage at their horrible Darth Vader executives like Stonecipher obscure the fact that they seem to have finally faced up to how they have completely botched the 787 and are biting that bullet, including the tremendous financial hits.
The labor agreement is also most impressive, as much for how the stakeholders got to it as it’s content. It seems like a classic win/win/no-loss-for-anyone, community organizing (CO) result. The idea behind CO is that when you have a problem you get all interested parties together and mutually and respectfully exchange views until you have reached a place where everyone is willing to live on the particular issue. They key is that each stakeholder is open to respectfully listening to all of other stakeholders and begins the exchanges recognizing that some compromise will be needed for the common good.
My sense (and I would like you guys’ take on this if you have time) is that at least at B Jim Albaugh is the driving force behind the rationalization of the 787 program, the labor agreement, and the other positive things you recount. I don’t know why I intuit this. Maybe it’s how he turned Boeing Military around, or his steady, non-flamboyant, calm, practical problem-facing and -solving style. Or maybe it’s just that he seems to have a healthy ego. It all boils down to the appearance at least that he is a very good executive and leader with very sensible people skills. Whatever it is, B Comm’l is doing very well under his guidance.