ILFC To Order B787, Pass on A350?

The Wall Street Journal and others report this morning that International Lease and Finance Co., the base of operations for the always opinionated Steven Udvar Hazy is set to order a large number of B787 Dreamliners and pass on the A350 for now.

The announcement is to be made, so it's said, at the Paris Air Show next week.

As you might expect, Mr. Udvar Hazy has some piquant comments on the situation which center on the fact that there's not nearly enough definition of the product and no deal in place for an engine supplier.

As you recall, it was the representations of Mr. Udvar Hazy and others that forced the redefinition of the A350 to v. 2.0. As a practical matter, design freeze is not set to take place until the fall of 2008, so the present iteration of the A350 could change appreciably between now and then.

Stay tuned. Next week should prove interesting.