Qantas Orders $7.5 Billion of Boeing 787s

Australia’s Qantas airlines will buy 115 Boeing 787 jets, the biggest order to date for the Seattle-based aerospace company’s so-called Dreamliner.

The big order, which lifts to 354 the number of 787s Boeing has sold since introducing its high-efficiency aircraft, includes firm orders for 45, options for 20 more and purchase rights for another 50, Boeing said Wednesday. Deliveries start in 2008.

Qantas will use the 787s in both its namesake fleet and its Jetstar subsidiary.

At list prices, the deal is worth $7.5 billion. Qantas’ decision marks a tough defeat for Europe’s Airbus SA, which fought hard for the Australian business.

Qantas has yet to announce its engine choice, either the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 or GE Aircraft Engines GEnx power plants.

Boeing developed the 787 for the mid-sized jetliner market, estimated at 3,500 aircraft over the next 20 years. The 787 will be about 20 percent less costly to operate than similar sized aircraft, like the Airbus A350, Boeing said, and it will use more than 50 percent advanced carbon composites for improved cabin humidity, a lower cabin altitude and the largest windows in the industry, Boeing said.