Boeing Scores Order for 30 Dreamliners

Boeing regained momentum for its 787 Dreamliner program with the announcement Thursday that Singapore Airlines has ordered 30 of the wide-bodied jumbo jet, grounded for weeks earlier this year over problems with its battery system.

The news is not all good for Boeing -- Singapore Airlines is also ordering 30 A350-900s from Boeing rival Airbus, the two companies splitting a $17 billion order, reports Bloomberg news.

The airline ordered the larger 787-10X, designed to replace Boeing’s 777-200 and compete with the mid-sized Airbus A350, which is due for its first flight within weeks.

“Someone stepped up early, and it will probably create some momentum,” said Howard Rubel, an analyst at Jefferies LLC in New York. “Singapore is one of those carriers that’s in the category of a very deliberate decision maker, one who sets a high standard for whatever it buys, and usually ends up in a position to be a leader in its market and others will follow.”

For the Bloomberg story, click here.