Originally published April 3, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified April 3, 2007 at 5:01 PM

Boeing's 787 orders top 500

JAL's order for five airplanes late last week brought the program over the 500 mark. Some additional orders since then bring the current total to 514.

By Dominic Gates

Seattle Times aerospace reporter

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MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Boeing employees applaud as the company announces the sale of its 500th 787 in Everett Tuesday morning. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner program has tallied more than 500 orders three months ahead of its rollout, a pace of orders unprecedented in any previous jet program.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner program has tallied more than 500 orders three months ahead of its rollout, a pace of orders unprecedented in any previous jet program.

Standing this morning in the atrium of the main building at Everett, surrounded by 3,000 to 4,000 787 employees, Boeing's Mike Bair made the announcement with a vice president from Japan Airlines.

JAL's order for five airplanes late last week brought the program over the 500 mark. Some additional orders since then bring the current total to 514.

"We have clearly captivated the world's airlines with this airplane," said Bair, head of the 787 program.

The fastest pace of orders on any previous program was for the 737 Next-Generation, which had 473 orders before rollout. The 737 is a single-aisle jet, which typically sells in much greater numbers than the bigger wide-bodies such as the 787.

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