FARNBOROUGH, England, Sept. 2, 1996 -- Boeing Commercial Airplane Group President Ron Woodard today marked the opening of the Farnborough Air Show by launching a new version of the 757 twinjet and announcing orders for 70 Boeing jetliners from 7 customers valued at approximately $6.3 billion.

The new 757-300, which will seat about 20 percent more passengers than the 757-200, was launched on the basis of an accepted proposal for up to 24 airplanes from the German holiday airline Condor Flugdienst.

Air Berlin, Airtours, Ansett Worldwide, British Airways, International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC), LOT Polish Airlines and Maersk Air have placed orders that include each member of the Boeing family of commercial airplanes. The order breakdown is as follows:

• Air Berlin: one 737-400
• Airtours, the UK-based inclusive tour operator: one 767-300ER
• Ansett Worldwide, the Australia-based leasing company: ten 737- 700s, six 737-300s and nine 767-300ERs
• British Airways: four 747-400s, three 777-200s and 3 757-200s. In addition, British Airways has reconfirmed 10 747-400s, rescheduling their deliveries to earlier dates in order to replace first-generation 747- 100s.
• ILFC, the Los-Angeles-based leasing company: 15 airplanes, including: five 757-200s, five 767-300ERs and five 737s.
• LOT Polish Airlines: two 737-400s and one 767-300ER
• Maersk Air of Denmark: three 737-500s

Woodard said that the importance of the orders lies not only in the numbers, but in the separate and distinct needs of each of the operators -- needs that have been addressed by the depth and breadth of the Boeing product family.

"Across our product line -- from the 737 market to the 747 market -- we've worked hard to ensure our products deliver the value that operators need to succeed," said Woodard.

"Our customers -- whether scheduled carriers, or inclusive tour operators; whether large, globally focused carriers or smaller, regional operators -- all have different strategies and different needs," Woodard said. "But they all face an increasingly competitive market and they all demand products and services that deliver value in their particular market segments. Today's announcement shows that our product family is delivering value to all parts of the market."

German inclusive tour operator Air Berlin will use its new 737-400 twinjet on routes to warm weather vacation destinations. The new twinjet will be the eighth delivered to Air Berlin.

When Airtours' new 767-300ER is delivered in 1997, it will join two already in service. The inclusive tour operator will use its new airplane to deliver affordable travel to vacationers on medium- to long-range routes from the UK to destinations throughout the world.

Australian leasing company Ansett Worldwide has been a major customer for the 737, so far taking a total of 81, used by airlines all over the world. In just 10 years, the company has taken delivery of 125 Boeing aircraft.

In addition to today's newly announced and reconfirmed 747-400 orders from British Airways, Boeing also has included two previously unannounced 747- 400s to its announced order list. British Airways' total of announced but undelivered 747-400s is 32.

ILFC is the acknowledged market leader in the leasing of advanced technology commercial jet aircraft to airlines around the world. Since 1977 they have ordered or taken delivery of a total of 393 Boeing jets.

Warsaw-based LOT Polish Airlines will use its new Boeing 767-300ER and 737-400s on its long-haul and short-haul routes, respectively. When the new 767 is delivered in 1997, it will bring to five the number of 767s in LOT's fleet. The 737-400s, also scheduled for delivery in 1997, will bring the airline's 737 fleet to 13.

Deliveries of three 737-500s to Copenhagen-based Maersk Air will begin in late 1997. The twinjets will replace Fokker F-50 turboprop aircraft on Maersk's domestic and European regional routes.

Today's announcement brings to 407 the number of orders Boeing has announced this year, including 229 737s, 61 747s, 35 757s, 31 767s and 51 777s.