Boeing

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Five experts provided insight into the origins and progress of the Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner program at the Farnborough International Airshow Tuesday.

"The team we have gathered here has a cumulative total well in excess of 100 years of experience in creating, building, flying and supporting Boeing jetliners," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial. "This is a unique opportunity to look across the history of this program and understand where we are today."

Fancher led the panel discussion. Panelists included John Roundhill, former vice president of Product Development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Mike Sinnett, 787 vice president and chief project engineer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes; and Mike Carriker, chief pilot of the 787 for Boeing Test & Evaluation.

Roundhill provided the context for the original objectives set forth for the 787 program in 2002. "Our customers told us they wanted a more-efficient airplane," he said. "They wanted an airplane that had the seating capacity of a 767 and the range and speed of a 777 or 747."

"And that is just what we are giving them," said Dailey. "Every 787 delivered will give airlines an airplane that makes a strong difference in their fleets. In this segment of the market, there is no airplane in service today or on the drawing boards for the future that comes anywhere close to the efficiency of the 787 Dreamliner."

Sinnett and Carriker discussed the current status of the program. Sinnett, said, "You'd be hard pressed to stand anywhere on a 787 and not have a dozen different improvements from today's airplanes within arm's reach.  The technology we've incorporated is working just like we knew it would."

Carriker shared a similar assessment of progress on the flight-test program. "The 787 is a joy to fly; it is performing very well in its flight-test program," he said.

Fancher summarized, "On the ground and in the air, the 787 is the airplane that we've been talking about – it's real. It took the expertise and dedication of thousands of individuals around the world to bring the 787 to Farnborough. We're proud of the team and we're proud of the airplane that we have created."

Contact:

Lori Gunter

787 Communications

+1 206-931-5919

For more news about Boeing from the Farnborough International Airshow, go to: http://www.boeing.com/farnborough2010/

SOURCE Boeing