Boeing sanguine despite Airbus’ splash

If Boeing Co. has been rocked by this week’s stack of new plane deals announced by rival Airbus, it certainly hasn’t shown it.

Airbus unveiled deals involving more than 700 planes, including more than 300 firm orders, and edged ahead of the U.S. company, which entered this week’s Paris air show well in front.

“Our long-standing policy is not to store up order announcements for an air show. We used the show to confirm that the 787 Dreamliner remains on schedule for first delivery in May 2008 and we look forward with growing excitement to the 787 rollout on July 8,” Boeing spokesman Charlie Miller said.

Chicago-based Boeing took its firm order book for the year to 510 planes, an increase of 81, led by a deal for 63 planes from influential lessor International Lease Finance Corp. of Century City.

Airbus had 188 orders beforehand and left the show with about 519, by Reuters estimates.

“I think what it really says is, ‘We’re back,’ ” Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy said.

Airbus signed 425 firm orders this week worth $61 billion at list prices, Leahy said.

Highlights included Singapore Airlines’ firming a tentative deal from last year for 20 of the newest Airbus model, the A350 XWB, due in 2013, and a deal for 80 of the planes from Qatar Airways. Selling to influential airlines and lessors is key.

“ILFC is probably the standout order of the show,” said Doug McVitie, managing director of France-based aerospace marketing and forecasting firm Arran Aerospace, referring to Boeing’s biggest deal, which added another top name to the 787’s impressive list of major buyers.

ILFC leases planes to the world’s biggest airlines, and its choices, like those of rival GE Commercial Aviation Services, help drive the design of new models and the purchases of top carriers.

Airbus traditionally has used the biennial Paris air show to announce a stack of new business, but analysts expressed some skepticism this week, noting that many deals were tentative, were conversions of earlier pacts or involved unknown carriers.

Beneath its impressive headline numbers, Airbus also continued to struggle with its A380 superjumbo, which has hit a wall in finding new buyers.

Emirates airline, already the plane’s biggest customer, signed a tentative deal for more, but Airbus failed to sign a new airline to its list of 14 carriers committed to the A380.