Northwest: up to 68 787s!
 

Boeing snares another U.S. 787 order

Northwest Airlines deal could involve up to 68 jets
By August Cole, MarketWatch
Last Update: 5:33 PM ET May 5, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Northwest Airlines on Thursday said it's ordering 18 of Boeing Co.'s next new commercial jet, the 787 Dreamliner, and could take as many as 50 more planes as part of the deal.

The 18 planes are worth almost $2.2 billion at a list price of $120 million each. If Northwest goes for all 68 jets, the deal's value would rise to about $8.16 billion at list prices.

For Chicago-headquartered Boeing (BA: news, chart, profile) , it is the third large deal recent announcement for new 787s. Billions in orders from Air Canada and Air India stole headlines last month.

It is a rare domestic order for Boeing, which is also selling the 787 to Continental Airlines (CAL: news, chart, profile) and upstart Primaris Airlines. Asian airlines so far have had a much bigger appetite for the new plane.

Northwest (NWAC: news, chart, profile) , which plans to be the first carrier in North America to put the plane into service in 2008, plans to seat 36 passengers in its business class service and 185 in coach. Deliveries will start in August of that year.

Northwest also flies Airbus jets, as well.

All this and serving Miller Lite on their planes now...quite a week for NWA :p

New flash, NWA Miller Lite announcement trumped by Air Tran's new marketing alliance with Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Has anyone heard anything more about Primaris?