Boeing continues to soar

"It just another very solid year for Boeing," analyst C. Leonard Bauer, formerly of Prudential, told Bloggingstocks Friday. "Global growth remains solid, developing markets are showing impressive gains in air travel, and Boeing has great products, so Boeing's prospects look very good for the years ahead. Boeing and aviation are two of the bright spots in the U.S. economy right now."

The 787 Dreamliner program also posted record orders for 2007, with 369 orders, the company announced, adding that the next-generation airliner now has 817 orders since the company started accepted them for the new plane in 2004.

Bauer said the Dreamliner's order total is not only a reflection of the economic growth - - and increased wealth - - of emerging market nations, but also provides evidence that Boeing is performing very well versus rival Airbus.

"The competition between the two [Boeing and Airbus] is fleet-wide, but Boeing is ahead regarding matching product to clients' needs," Bauer said. "If the global economy continues to grow at a strong rate, and geopolitical events don't pop up, we're looking at, maybe, the strongest decade for air travel in its history, certainly in Asia, and Boeing is going to be a big part of that."

Global battle

United States-based Boeing and European Union-based Airbus are engaged in a global battle for not only for market share of commercial airline miles flown, but also regarding which air travel model will best meet the needs of air travelers in the initial decades of the 21st century.

Boeing argues that point-to-point, fast, creature-comfort-filled air travel characterized by the next-generation Dreamliner, will be the era's defining air travel flight. Conversely, Airbus argues that superjumbo air travel, which features lower ticket prices, larger seating capacity and longer ranges, will be the flight most preferred by airlines and air travelers

737, Freighter sales strong

Boeing's single-aisle 737 also had it strongest order year in its history, with 846 net orders in 2007, up from 729 net orders in 2006.

In addition, sales of Boeing's Freighters also enjoyed a third consecutive record sales year, with 83 gross orders for freighters in 2007, compared with gross orders for 81 Freighters in 2006 and 74 Freighters in 2005.