LONDON, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Opportunities for manufacturing jetliners
in the 21st century are "simply breathtaking," Dick James, president -- Boeing
Europe told journalists gathered at an annual conference sponsored by The
Financial Times.
"Here in Europe, airlines will need almost 5,000 airplanes over the next
two decades. When you look at the numbers it's no wonder that we come to this
conference looking forward to the future," James said. "But we are also
realists. Experience tells us -- and in Boeing's case, that is 82 years of
experience -- that the world's airlines are shopping for value as never
before. Value pricing is the name of the game, and it's going to stay thatway."
During his 20-minute presentation, James said the breadth and balance of
the new Boeing Company bodes well for the company's future.
"Before the merger, the commercial side of our business accounted for the
bulk of revenues -- about 75 percent. That's changed substantially. Today,
the ratio is about 60 percent commercial, and 40 percent space,
communications, military aircraft and missile systems. Each segment has an
amazing range of products. In a cyclical business like ours, breadth and
balance is the right stuff."
Speaking of the right stuff, James said Boeing has developed and launched
ten airplanes in the last five years, each one meeting a 21st century market
need and focused on economic viability.
According to James, the industry must take a long-term view, focus on
common interests, and build strong, capable industrial teams to successfully
meet the challenges of the next century.
"I believe it is fundamentally important to remove every obstacle that
prevents understanding and break down every wall and barrier that hinders a
robust, capable and efficient supplier base. It's good for all of us on both
sides of the Atlantic."
James pointed out that many of the company's industrial partners are
located in Europe, where Boeing airplanes have generated almost $4 billion in
jet engine sales for Rolls Royce. In France, Snecma builds engines for
Boeing's Next-Generation 737 -- a program expected to generate about
$9 billion in revenue for Snecma during the next eight years. European
companies build about half of Boeing's newest jetliner, the 100-passenger 717.
Boeing Commercial Airplane Group alone expects to spend almost $14 billion
with European suppliers over the next five years, supporting more than 90,000
jobs in Europe annually.
In order to excel in the next century, James said everyone in the industry
must do the right things: build the right products for the marketplace;
maintain strong, capable industrial teams; and use lean and efficient design
and production systems to keep costs down and quality up.
"The result will be sharper competition and a more capable aircraft
manufacturing industry that will be better able to give operators the
jetliners they need to win in their marketplace," James said. "When our
customers win, we win." |
