By Philip Mwakio
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing is set to increase its production rate for the 777 model series owing to strong customer demands.
The company stated that it would boost output to 8.3 planes a month in the first quarter of 2013.
It has earlier announced plans to increase production to seven airplanes a month from five starting mid next year.
It added that US airliner, United Airlines had first placed the 777 into service in 1995.
There had been 907 deliveries of the aircraft, which came in several different versions including a freighter. Several major commercial airlines use the long-range aircraft and FedEx uses the cargo version, Boeing said.
Boeing added that it had a backlog of more than 250 777s and that suppliers were prepared for its production increases.
Order cancellation
The news of increased production came despite an announcement from the aerospace giant last week that customers cancelled orders for three 777s and one of its 787s. The company declined to say who cancelled the orders.
The new 787 have been plagued by delays for more than two years. In the latest hitch, Boeing said earlier this month it was in the middle of a three-week hold on assembling pieces of the 787.
Flight tests stopped last month because of an electrical fire, and the first delivery officially slated for early next year will be pushed back.
Continental Airlines was scheduled to be the first US carrier with a 787, and planned to begin flights between Houston and Auckland, New Zealand, in November next year. Those are now being pushed into 2012.
Continental will fly a planned route between Houston and Lagos, Nigeria, with a Boeing 777 instead of the 787. Those flights are set to begin in November next year.
