Boeing gets 29 new orders with list price of $5 billion

Boeing announced 29 new jet orders on its Web site today, including 17 widebodies.

The value of the new orders is about $5 billion at list prices. However, with standard discounts the true value is closer to $3 billion, based on current market estimates by aircraft valuation company Avitas.

The orders included one for a VIP version of the forthcoming 787, generally sold to governments, big corporations or very wealthy individuals.

The customer for the biggest order, 15 777s, was not identified by Boeing, but in advance of the announcement the Wall Street Journal named the purchaser as General Electric Commercial Aviation Services, GE's aircraft leasing and finance unit. GECAS is the largest aircraft lessor in the world.

The Journal also said orders for a further 50 Boeing wide-body jets are in the pipeline and could be announced by year end.

If those orders materialize and are supplemented by the typical end-of-year rush of single-aisle orders, Boeing would be within reach of last year's record of 1,028 net orders. The tally stands now at 822 net orders.

The pace of orders on the commercial side, plus recent contract wins on the defense side, has boosted Boeing's stock, which was trading today within 80 cents of the record high of $89.58

Meanwhile, Airbus announced an order from Brazil's largest airline, TAM, for 37 jets, including six A330 widebodies. The order is valued about $3.2 billion at list prices, though the true value is less than $2 billion with standard discounts, based on Avitas' valuation estimates.

Earlier this month, formerly all-Airbus TAM placed its first Boeing order for four 777s.