Kuwait transfers 8 Dreamliner orders to Saudi Arabia

Boeing said on Thursday it lost eight orders for 787 Dreamliners during the week but gained eight after the transfer of orders from one customer to another, leaving its 787s order book more or less unchanged, Reuters reported.

On Sunday Boeing had said Kuwait-based leasing company ALAFCO had shifted orders for the eight Dreamliners to Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Boeing has secured 850 Dreamliner orders from over 50 customers and has taken a further three orders for narrow bodied 737s from an undisclosed customer(s).

The company is seeing a surge in orders, having taken 483 commercial aircraft orders so far this year, compared with 263 in all of 2009. Earlier this week Boeing announced an order for 12 Boeing 777-300ERs from Saudi Arabian Airlines - with an option for 10 more - estimated to be valued at $3.3bn, also announcing the airline had ordered eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners for its long-haul fleet.

The Dreamliner - three years behind its original schedule due to labour and supply chain problems - had its flight test programme stopped while Boeing investigates an electrical fire in one of its test planes. It has said it is too early to know if the incident will impact its planned delivery of its first Dreamliner in the early part of 2011.