GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, has announced at the 2013 Paris Air Show a commitment to order 10 Boeing 787-10X Dreamliners equipped with GEnx engines, subject to Boeing launching the 787-10 program.
Boeing says it looks forward to working with GECAS to finalize the details of the agreement, at which time the commitment will be posted to the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website as a firm order.
The Boeing 787-10X is a planned second stretch of the twinjet widebody 787 family. Boeing is working with airlines to determine the exact configuration and capabilities of the new jet, which will be the third member of the 787 family. It joins the baseline 787-8 which entered revenue service in 2011 and the 787-9, which is due to enter service by 2015
“We have studied the capabilities Boeing is developing for the 787-10X and anticipate strong demand from our airline customers for this airplane,” says Norman Liu, GECAS’ president and CEO. “The 787-10X will be a perfect complement to our broad portfolio of modern, fuel-efficient aircraft offering the lowest operating costs in the market.”
Boeing has been working closely with airline and leasing customers to define the key capabilities and features of the 787-10X, which would be the third and largest member of the Boeing 787 family.
The Boeing 787-10X under consideration would add approximately 15 per cent in passenger capacity over the 787-9 and would serve medium-haul and long-haul markets.
“As a leader in commercial airplane leasing and financing, GECAS enjoys an outstanding reputation and its influence is substantial,” says Ray Conner, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “When GECAS makes a decision about how to build its fleet, the industry takes note. Its commitment to the 787-10X is a strong statement about the capabilities of this highly efficient airplane.”
Once the order is finalized, these 787s will bring the total number of aircraft GECAS has ordered from Boeing to 598 since 1995, including 737s, 747s, 757s, 767s and 777s. To date, GECAS has taken delivery of 444 of the jets.
On May 30, Singapore Airlines became the prospective launch customer for the Boeing 787-10X, by ordering 30 subject to Boeing formally launching the program.
