Boeing's deliveries off 28% in 2002; meets lowered goal CHICAGO (AP) =97 Boeing said Monday it delivered 381 commercial airplanes in= =20 2002 =97 the fewest in five years but on target with its lowered estimate in= =20 the depressed aviation industry. The company said it delivered 86 planes in= =20 the fourth quarter to finish the year with one more delivery than its=20 latest announced objective of 380. The year's total was down 28% from 527=20 deliveries in 2001, when the full impact of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks=20 wasn't yet evident. With airlines mired in their worst slump throughout=20 2002, it was the fewest since 1997, when Boeing delivered 375 jets. The=20 company also reported it secured 251 new orders for jets in 2002 =97 its=20 lowest tally since 1994, when airlines ordered 125 jets. About 65% of the=20 orders =97 162 =97 were for Boeing's popular single-aisle 737. Boeing also= =20 secured orders for 32 777s, 17 747s, eight 767s and 32 717s. The Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer did not have any orders for the=20 single-aisle 757 jet, built in Renton, Wash., south of Seattle. That jet=20 program is facing a dwindling backlog of orders and analysts have said they= =20 expect Boeing will have to cut its already slowed production rate of about= =20 two jets per month. Competitor Airbus announced orders for 177 jets in its= =20 data through Nov. 30. But that total does not include a 120-jet deal with=20 British carrier easyJet that was finalized Dec. 30. For 2003, Boeing has=20 said it expects deliveries to fall to between 275 and 285 =97 which could= put=20 the company in second place behind Airbus for production for the first=20 time. Nearly 60% of the commercial airplanes it delivered in 2002, or a=20 total of 223, were of its single-aisle 737. Boeing also delivered 47 of its= =20 twin-aisle 777s, and 35 767s, 29 757s, 27 747s and 20 717s. Boeing shares=20 fell 5 cents to close at $34.13 Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.hilofoodstores.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************