After a series of setbacks like the World Trade Center disaster, the War in Iraq, and the SARS epidemic, Boeing is back to scale new heights with all vigor. The plane maker has unveiled its latest model—7E7 Dreamliner, with which it claims to hog a majority of the market share. Boeing is being quite meticulous with regard to the design and other facilities for the passengers while designing the plane. With its bigger windows, dimmable glasses and bigger overhead bins, it expects to bag the applause of the passengers (See Figure 1). Though the new model is passenger-friendly with all the amenities, the airlines are a bit apprehensive about the promise of 7E7, in the light of the earlier unfulfilled promises of Boeing, with regard to the Sonic Cruiser1. However, CEO Alan Mulally says that the Dreamliner would prove to be efficient for the airlines, from the passengers’, performance and operating costs point of view.

Boeing, which had to face turbulence in the recent past over the ethical and performance- related issues (discussed later here) has been receiving big orders. One among them being a $6 bn order from Japan’s second largest airline—All
Nippon Airways (ANA), which ordered for 50 planes. This is the biggest initial order for a new model commercial jet. In addition to ANA, Boeing has recently announced that Blue Panorama of Italy and First Choice Airways of the United Kingdom have selected the 7E7 Dreamliner to replace and expand their existing fleets. These two carriers are the first in Europe to choose the 7E7. Mulally feels that the swiftness and the volumes of orders speak about the performance and demand for the aircraft.