Boeing

The first Boeing 757-300, painted in launch customer Condor Flugdienst's new livery, made its debut in Europe today at a stop in Frankfurt.

The visit marks the first of 17 scheduled flights to 11 destinations on the airplane's four-day, service-ready demonstration tour for Condor.

"The purpose of the tour is to introduce the 757-300 to the real world of day-to-day airline operations," said Jack Gucker, vice president - Boeing 737/757 Derivative Programs. The tour allows Boeing and Condor to check 757-300 flight operations, passenger service, and maintenance and operating procedures before the airplane is delivered to Condor in March.

Condor launched the 757-300 program with the order for 12 757-300s on September 2, 1996 at the Farnborough Air Show in England. The airline placed an order for its 13th 757-300 at the model's rollout ceremony in Renton, Wash. in May of this year.

At that ceremony, Dr. Dietmar Kirchner, Condor's managing director, told a Boeing audience: "We are so convinced this airplane will be a money-maker for us that we've ordered another one before we've even seen it fly. The 757-300 has the lowest seat-mile operating costs of any single-aisle airplane on the market - lower than many widebody airplanes. The 757-300 complements our strategy of providing a high-quality, high-service product to the charter market."

Dr. Kirchner and his team played an active role in the 757-300 development. Condor also operates Boeing 737s, 767s and 757s.

"Getting this airplane from its design concept, through manufacturing and into the air has been a collaborative effort between the great team we have at Boeing and the great people at Condor," said Gucker. "We are very proud of the 757-300. It is an airplane with fantastic operating costs. It retains the simplicity and reliability of the 757-200, and it's a plane that passengers will enjoying flying in."

In addition to launch customer Condor, the airplane has received orders from Icelandair and Arkia Israeli Airlines.

The 757-300 is scheduled for certification in January 1999. The first 757-300 is due for delivery to Condor in March 1999.