Airlines warming to Boeing's proposed 7E7 jet = = = = Thursday November 13, 3:20 PM EST = By Chris Stetkiewicz SEATTLE, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Boeing Co.'s (BA) proposed new mid-sized 7E7 = jetliner could slash airline operating costs and redefine passenger comfo= rt, if the aircraft maker can deliver on its promises, potential customer= s said on Thursday. "This airplane, I believe, will be a superb machine for operating with th= e airlines in terms of its economy," said Peter Gardner, U.S. technical v= ice president at Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (0293). "To match (the 7E7),= the competition is really going to have to stretch out." At a press briefing outside closed-door talks with dozens of potential bu= yers of the 200- to 300-seat 7E7 jet family, a key Boeing official said t= he program was building momentum as the board of directors considers endo= rsing the project next month. = "I don't see anything stopping us," said John Feren, vice president--7E7 = customers, noting Boeing Chairman Phil Condit this week said the board wa= s highly likely to allow the Seattle-based jetliner unit to formally offe= r airlines the 7E7. Slightly less enthusiastic was Nico Buchholz, senior vice president Corpo= rate Fleet--Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHAG), who praised the "significant im= provements" the 7E7 could offer, but reserved final judgment pending more= details. "The aircraft from our perspective has developed positively into somethin= g which we see today. We still have some way to go," Buchholz said. NO LAUNCH ORDERS YET Neither airline was prepared to say it would sign up as a launch customer= , which typically gives an airline fat price discounts and more say over = design, though Gardner said the 7E7 might be "attractive" on routes to ma= inland China. Boeing tentatively plans to build the 7E7 for deliveries starting in 2008= , replacing its 757 and 767 models and going head-to-head with the popula= r A330 from rival Airbus SAS (EAD) (EAD). Japan's two biggest airlines, Japan Airlines Systems Corp (9205) and All = Nippon Airways Co Ltd (9202), have expressed interest in a shorter-range = model and are considered strong candidates for launch orders. Boeing claims the 7E7 would cut fuel burn by 20 percent over current airc= raft and save airlines 10 percent on overall operating costs, citing new,= fuel-sipping engines and lightweight materials that will also cut mainte= nance costs. During the meetings, airlines have made it clear they want at least two e= ngine options on the 7E7, bristling at the suggestion that Boeing could s= ign an exclusive deal with one of the three main powerplant manufacturers= to save money. "I would be a little distressed should it be only one. I think...the worl= d's operators are going to probably persuade Boeing that more than one is= better. Whether three is required, I'm not sure," Gardner said. Airbus officials have said they might fit 7E7 engines on the A330, cuttin= g the operating advantage, though questions have arisen over related engi= neering costs. Airbus has not yet laid out a formal response to the 7E7, although indust= ry officials say the European company is planning a series of airline bri= efings. STANDARD FEATURES Boeing hopes to standardize as many features as possible on the new jet, = lowering production costs and boosting resale values while easing airline= training and maintenance costs. For example, the cockpit will be quite similar to that on the wide-body 7= 77, allowing pilots to switch to 7E7s after just three days of training. Boeing has even developed a "pretty cool" sidestick control similar to th= e one Airbus uses, a nod to the growing popularity of Airbus jets, but Fe= ren said the 7E7 will offer only the traditional yoke control. Lufthansa raised the sidestick issue, noting the increased costs of two d= ifferent cockpits, and Buchholz said the airline would prefer not to run = a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, without elaborating. Boeing has also shown airlines a "mock-up" of the 7E7 passenger cabin, wh= ich promises more moisture in the air, bigger windows, slightly wider ais= les and better lighting. "You get a bit of a 'wow' factor when you walk in the door," Gardner said= =2E "It will give you a completely different feel." = =A92003 Reuters Limited. = Roger EWROPS