As part of its three week, 20 city worldwide tour, Boeing came to Taiwan yesterday in a bid to lure buyers of its new passenger plane.
In an airborne show put on for local media and airline representatives, Boeing said its 757-300 model, a stretch version of the 757-200, was the largest single-aisle twin jet ever made.
The company said the new plane stands out from competitors with its lower per seat operating costs.
"It has about a 10 percent lower seat-mile operating cost than the 757-200, which already has the lowest seat-mile operating cost in its market segment," said John F. Gucker, visiting vice president of Boeing.
While acknowledging China's potentially lucrative market, Boeing declined to associate the new model with any opportunities that may come with direct air links between Taiwan and China.
"This type of aircraft is suitable for all markets in the world, especially when considering that its design is suitable for short and medium range flights," Gucker said.
China and Taiwan were the only two Asia-Pacific countries included in the world tour.
According to Boeing's current market outlook, Taiwan over the next 20 years will buy 190 new aircraft, valued at US$21 billion.
Meanwhile, the company forecasts that the Asia-Pacific region will be the world's largest market over the same period of time, accounting for 30 percent of world demand, or about 20,000 new aircraft with an estimated value of US$1.4 trillion.
Far East Air Transport (遠東航空公司) said it was considering Boeing's new model, but no decisions have been made yet.
"We are still evaluating various models to see what suits our procurement needs," said Chen Hsien-hua (陳憲華), public relations manager of Far East Air.
According to Chen, Far East Air is preparing for the launch of a representative office in Beijing. The company expects to complete its application with Chinese authorities soon in a bid to seize any market opportunities that may come with direct air links.
However, Chen said Far East Air's current fleet would be enough to satisfy its operation needs during the initial years of direct links.
Officials at EVA Airways (長榮航空), meanwhile, reported no plans for purchasing any new model types such as the one Boeing had promoted. However, recent reports indicated EVA may buy aircraft from Boeing.
Last year, China Airlines (CAL) placed an order worth nearly NT$2 billion for 13 Boeing 747-400 freighters, which was Boeing's largest ever freighter purchase. Roughly 76 percent of CAL's fleet is made up of Boeing planes.
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