It’s been a whirlwind year or so for an airplane program that many observers had not too long ago left for dead.
And I remember myself telling reporters about two years ago that we had about six months of leeway before making a decision on whether to end the 767 line.
Well, let’s see if we can update the story a bit. It is now March 2007, and already this year we have 36 orders for 767s – nearly four times the orders in all of last year. And last year wasn’t bad either.
The Boeing 767 is having a “mighty” good year.
But I’m still asked what the plan is for the 767 line. Well, clearly, the 787 Dreamliner is going to eventually fit into the 767 product-size category. And it will replace the 767 over time. But as this run of new orders indicates, obviously the 767 is still going to live on a while. In fact, the folks at the Everett factory have even taken to calling it the “Mighty 767.”
We saw 10 orders for passenger versions of the 767 in 2006. And among the orders so far in 2007, we had a great order of 27 767-300ER freighters from UPS. It’s a significant number when you think about the fact that this single order equals a third of the total number of new production freighter orders we got in all of 2006 – which was a record year for freighter orders.
Those new freighters are going to be key to allowing UPS to improve the efficiency and speed of its delivery networks around the world. And by the way, the 767-300ER is already in their fleet, and they’ve got great experience with the airplane. And just as importantly, they’ve got the infrastructure in place – maintenance and support systems, and pilot training.
So, the 767 line in Everett is going to be humming - with 62 unfilled orders for 767s as of the end of February.
People tend to forget that the 767 is the most popular widebody airplane overall after the 747. We’ve sold more than 1,000 to date (three times more than the competing model - A330-200).
You know, the 767 is the original king of point-to-point. It’s still a very popular size airplane for opening up new long-haul nonstops. 131 operators worldwide fly the 767, and it makes up 21% of the world twin-aisle fleet. The 767 flies across the Atlantic more frequently than any other airplane, and it continues to grow in popularity as governments around the world liberalize air travel.
A new 767 for ANA in final assembly in Everett.
And while the 767 doesn’t have the range or efficiency levels of the 787 Dreamliner, it is still 30 tonnes lighter than the available competition. The 767 remains an extremely versatile and reliable airplane - in 3 passenger versions and the freighter model. Airlines can use the 767 for short, medium, and long flights because it has excellent range capability and is economical across the spectrum. And it’s a modern airplane that meets today’s noise and emission standards in Europe and the U.S.
Of course I haven’t even mentioned the great future this airplane has as a military tanker. Italy and Japan have already ordered 767-based tankers. And we know it would fit extremely well into the U.S. Air Force plans. But we’ll take up this subject a little later.
Suffice it to say we have some active 767 proposals underway with more airlines. And I think that an already good year for the 767 is going to get even better.
Subscribe to this blog's feed
Comments (16)
Excellent ‘tribute’ to the 767, Randy! The 767 is no doubt a very flexible wide-body airplane, and has most definitely been the pioneer of the way the world wants to fly; Point-to-Point and efficiently. It also was the pioneer of ETOPS. I think I am correct in saying that not only does the 767 have up to 30% greater cargo volume than the A310 (although the former has the narrower fuselage cross-section), but the 767’s wing also has one of the best elliptical spanwise distributions of lift ever achieved on a Boeing airliner? Great airplane that has adapted to so many different roles in its life. Sheer flexibility. It sure is a ‘mighty’ airplane.
Posted on March 7, 2007 11:46
More than 1,000 767 ordered and more than 1,000 757 ordered. You do not need to be graduated from école polytechnique to understand that airlines will order more than 2,000 787 because it is the replacement of 757, 767, A310 and A300.
Posted on March 7, 2007 13:57
I have flown on the 767-400 numerous times with Continental Airlines, and the extensive upgrades inside and out have made it a pleasure: the plane is a true sister to the 777. I particularly appreciate the 777-style interior, larger oval windows, and sleek raked wingtips. It simply is a gorgeous aircraft. Hopefully Delta and Continental (the only operators I know of) will add to their 767-400 fleets, or other new customers will be found. Also, Continental's late-build 767-200s, with their 767-400-style interiors and systems, are very pleasant rides.
The Dreamliner is one thing, but airline customers should also look at the 767's economics, especially considering the 787's full order book.
Best wishes to Boeing with the military tanker competition. Airbus seems now hardly to be in a position to win it.
Posted on March 7, 2007 22:56
This 767 resurgence is great. And now DHL has also reordered. Why not take a page from the Airbus playbook and continue to evolve the 767 and KC-767 by adding the more fuel-efficient GEnx engines (à la original A350)? Although the GEnx is in high demand along with the 787, it seems like an effective upgrade with a minimal investment.
Posted on March 8, 2007 09:38
I hope the Air Force will place a large order for the KC-767. It is past time for a new model tanker. The old fleet is wearing out.
Posted on March 8, 2007 12:02
Glad to see you pointing out the fallaciousness of the Airbus claim of the A330 "killing the 767". Even if you add up all of the Airbus twin aisle/twin engine (A300, A310, and A330) sales, they fall far short of the 767 family sales.
Posted on March 8, 2007 21:18
I think it is interesting to note that with the recent orders, the 767 now joins every previous Boeing commercial jet airliner model in selling in excess of 1000 frames, while the 777 and 787 both look certain to achieve the same feat in the not-too-distant future. It's an outstanding milestone, and a testament to the quality of the product. Keep up the good work!
Posted on March 8, 2007 23:39
A GEnX powered 767 with 787 features can be a possible offering to airlines who cannot get into the 787 production schedule. Are their studies or plans for such? Is this combination also possible with the KC767?
Posted on March 9, 2007 00:54
Having been on all 3 models of the 767 (762, 763, 764) I would say that it's a great plane. The best aspects of it are that the cabin is quiet, it's pretty big and roomy and it flies very smoothly. Despite what other people think about it I think the 767 is a great product. It's been a great success over the years and yes it's still very popular today.
The 767 and any other Boeing plane will beat any Airbus plane hands down. Keep up the good work!
Posted on March 9, 2007 20:08
Some statistics in Flight International 24-30 October 2006:
Orders:
561 x A300
255 x A310
337 x A330-200
Makes a total of 1,153 767-competitors from Airbus...
So Airbus outsold the 767, didn't it?
Posted on March 10, 2007 09:23
Being a frequent flyer in economy class, the 767 is my favorite plane to fly. The 2-3-2 seating allows most passengers a window or aisle, and on the 6 differnt airlines I have flown it there was always a generous amount of legroom.
I fly mostly on Air Canada and have not yet had a flight on their newly renovated 767s but am looking forward to it.
Posted on March 12, 2007 20:01
A few years ago I spent some time on the cargo ramp in Quito Ecuador, watching a 767-300F being loaded.
The 767-300 is unmistakably Boeing, with its inverted egg shaped fuselage. It has near perfect proportions. It is simply beautiful, even standing still on the ramp.
It goes beyond a mere family resemblance. I am convinced the soul of the 707 lives on in the 767.
It is a classic.
Posted on March 12, 2007 21:40
Randy, I think the 767 can benefit from engine upgrades and more composites built into the structure.
There is still so much ahead of the 767 even if the 787 Dreamliner has just really been a sales phenomenon. If we can adopt GEnx egines, we can have a 767-Advanced.
I know that Boeing has chosen to use PW engines for the Advanced Tanker version - owing to commonality with engines used in the C-32 and C-17. But a GEnx powered 767 will be more efficient for the airforce.
Posted on March 19, 2007 02:25
great piece on the 767.
It's my favorite airplane to fly on(well with the exception of the two times i've been on the spacious 777)
the best part of 767 - space. even in economy plenty of room. also love the GE engines on it haha!
i love the way it look sitting on the runway. There is something about the shape and the size of the engines (maybe its the way the wing is swept back) it just looks nicer to me than the A330.
767 incidentally was the first jet i ever flew on back in 1985 (delta) it must have been pretty new at the time. (im in my early 30s now)
to all those people who say its old/obsolete etc..
it seems to fly pretty far (what delta has a flight from atlanta to moscow without a stop) i've taken a -200 from miami to germany. etc.
anyway i cant wait for the 787 to come out, but in the meantime, im plenty glad with the 767
Posted on March 19, 2007 15:16
The B747-8 is he best plane on the world!!!
Posted on March 25, 2007 00:10
Great to hear that the boeing 767 hasn't dead yet.
But I'm sad to hear that the 767 has outsold the competition when the real stadistic point the other way.
The A300/A310 family have sold up to 821 airplanes (and it's a unmistakable competition of the boeing 767s) and the A330-200 has sold 393 airplanes (in contrast the 767-400ER sold only ~35 airplanes). That accounts for a total of 1,214 airplanes by Airbus.
Airbus will continue selling the A330-200 and the A330-200F aswell in the future (at least as a waiting option until the deliveries of the A350XWB)
Posted on May 1, 2007 22:00
We welcome your comments. However all comments are moderated and may not post immediately. Offensive or off-topic comments will not be posted. We will not treat any comments you submit as confidential information. Please do not submit comments that contain any confidential information belonging to anyone else.
By submitting a comment to Randy's Journal, you agree to our site terms and privacy policy, and to having your name displayed with your comment. All or part of your comment may be posted or cited in the blog. Your name and personal information will not be used for any other purpose, and we will not publish your e-mail address.