Boeing dominates sales at Dubai Air Show



DUBAI, United Arab Emirates --- The Boeing Company is making a killing at the Dubai Air Show, netting well over a 100 billion dollars in sales.

By far the biggest seller is Boeing's new 777x. It's updated version of its 777 and will be equipped with carbon fiber wings and more efficent engines.

Boeing has sold 342 aircraft as of Monday. To name a few of the sales so far,  Emirate Airlines is the biggest customer of the new 777x, purchasing an astounding 150 aircraft.

Qatar Airways ordered 50, Etihad Airlines ordered 25 777x's along with 30 787 Dreamliners and one 747.  FlyDubai put in an order for 86 737's.  This is double the sales of Boeing's european rival Airbus.

This latest triumph by The Boeing Company comes at a time when relations are strained between the company and the machinist union in the Puget Sound.



Last Wednesday, the machinist union voted 2 to 1 against a new 8 year contract offered by Boeing.  It would have cut pensions, switching to a 401k plan.  It would have taken new hires 16 years to reach top level pay instead of the current six years.  Before the vote, Boeing said if the union accepts the deal it would have guarenteed that the 777x would have been built in Washington.  At this point there are no planned negoiations between Boeing and the machinist union until the current contract is up in 2016.

Boeing says its considering several other locations to build the 777x.  Possible locations include, Salt Lake City, Utah, Long Beach, California, South Carolina and Alabama.

Production of the new 777x is expected to begin in 2017.