Boeing Co.'s next-generation aircraft will sport the name 7E7 fornow, the Chicago-based company disclosed Wednesday as it announcedthe leadership team for the new commercial plane.
Boeing appointed Michael B. Bair, senior vice president of theBoeing 7E7 program, to lead development of the plane, which has yetto be given its final official flying name. Bair will report toCommercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer AlanMulally. The 46-year-old Bair most recently led the company'sCommercial Aviation Services business. He is a 24-year veteran of thecompany and played a key role in development of the Boeing 777.
Reporting to Bair will be Walter B. Gillette, 61, who led thecompany's development work on technologies on the now-scrapped high-speed Sonic Cruiser. Gillette will be responsible for fulldevelopment of the 7E7 including, engineering, manufacturing andpartner alignment. Gillette has worked on every new Boeing commercialjet during his 37 years with the company.
In December, Boeing announced it had scrapped plans to build theSonic Cruiser, a commercial airplane that travels nearly as fast asthe speed of sound, and said it would instead build a slower, moreenergy-efficient plane as its next-generation aircraft.
Analysts and industry insiders had expected the move due to thelack of interest in the Sonic Cruiser by airlines that are stillreeling from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and a weak economythat sent air travel demand into a dive and airline losses soaring.
The 7E7 will be a 200- to 250-seat airplane that will fly between7,000 and 8,000 nautical miles at speeds similar to today's Boeing777 and 747, the fastest twin-aisle commercial airplanes.
Boeing says the 7E7 will be the most advanced and efficientcommercial airplane in its class and set new standards forenvironmental responsibility and passenger comfort. The plane will bebased on the enabling technologies developed during the company'sconsideration of the Sonic Cruiser concept.
Boeing opted to give the aircraft the interim 7E7 name because itis 'a good reminder as to what the airplane is supposed to be--efficient, economical and e-enabled,' said Boeing spokesman ToddBlecher.
Boeing expects to put the 7E7 out for sale in early 2004 and tohave its first deliveries in 2008.
Joining Bair and Gillette on the leadership team for the 7E7 isJohn N. Feren, 47, who will lead sales, marketing and in-servicesupport. Feren most recently served as vice president of sales forairlines of the Americas and leasing companies worldwide. He has 25years of commercial airplane sales, marketing and program managementexperience.
Also on the team is Craig A. Saddler, 43, who will head financeand business operations and is a 22-year Boeing veteran. Hepreviously served as chief financial officer of the company's SharedServices Group, president of Boeing Travel Management Co. and interimpresident of Boeing Realty Corp.
In other Boeing news, Dublin-based Ryanair Holdings PLC is intalks with Boeing about buying more planes, a Boeing spokeswoman saidWednesday. The airline, Europe's No. 2 discount airline, last yearordered 100 planes from Boeing and took options to buy 50 more,making that Boeing's largest order in 2002. It converted three ofthose options to firm orders last year, bringing the total firmRyanair orders to 103.
