For the first time with some confidence I can say that the 787 is finally on track now. The recent flight trials by the ANA crew in Seattle was a very good step. ANA now has two sets of crew ready to operate the 787. Boeing says the first 787 will be with the carrier in Q3 and operational and airport trials will be conducted next month at Narita and Haneda.

I think the 320NEO is raking in a lot of orders due to a couple of factors.

1: The airlines are very apprehensive and concerned about the cost of fuel. There is no way, that the cost of oil will go below $100 p/b, ever. Crude oil will now remain steadily over $105 p/b and this will hurt the airlines, specially the low cost airlines. For example, Air Asia operates to a lot of countries where fuel prices are extremely high, much higher than world average. Places such as Vietnam, Cambodia etc. IN Europe as well, recently LH CEO said that they are failing to get there Europe operations back into profitability due to oil prices and the weak economy.

2: There is no competition to the NEO. I don’t have numbers but the NEO does save a good amount of fuel per-mile than the 738. So it makes sense for airlines to go for it.

3: A lot of ‘orders’ for the NEO from airlines like IndiGo are mere changeovers from the current 320 series. They are not new orders.

Having said all this it is clear the 320NEO will sell like hotcakes at Paris this year. Boeing has been a little slow in there preparedness, mainly because of the 787 programme and the 748 programme. The 748 programme is a little silly since its in direct competition with the 77W.

Anyway Boeing will get about 30 new 77W orders from EK itself at PAS11, so they have something there.

Airbus might also get 10 new 330 orders from Jet Airways as well.