Air Berlin cuts Boeing order

AIR Berlin – Germany’s second largest airline after Lufthansa – has cancelled US$1.7 billion worth of orders for 787 aircraft with Boeing. The cancellation involves cutting the number of 787 Dreamliners on order from 25 down to 15. The airline blamed “market conditions” for the move.

The order reduction also involves delaying the delivery of nine 737s to 2015, instead of this and next year.

“Boeing and Air Berlin have worked together to make changes that are appropriate for the current market conditions,” said Boeing spokesman, Andrew Davis.

Boeing is almost two and a half years behind schedule on the Dreamliner and has lost about 10 per cent of its orders.