Last of the Globemasters

Le Bourget, France Boeing has eight remaining C-17s in various stages of production left before it shutters its assembly line this year, Chris Raymond, the company’s vice president for defense business development and strategy, told reporters during the Paris International Airshow. Of those, one has been sold to an unnamed customer and two are headed to Australia to boost its existing fleet, he said. That leaves five aircraft looking for homes, but Raymond said Boeing’s assessment of the remaining buys for the global strategic airlift market were “pretty correct,” and he is confident the company will sell them, despite competition from Airbus’ A400, which is ramping up deliveries. Raymond declined to name the unnamed customer, but added the company is in “deep discussions” with several countries regarding the remaining aircraft. Jeff Kohler, VP of international business development for Boeing’s defense unit, said he anticipates the remaining orders will be sold by the fourth quarter of this year.