WILL THIS IDEA REALLY FLY?

摘要

Two years ago at the Paris Air Show, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Alan R. Mulally assured the world that his company's proposed su-perfast Sonic Cruiser was destined for a long run. "On a scale of 1 to 10, I am at 11," he told journalists. "That's how sure I am that the Sonic Cruiser will go into commercial service." Good thing Mulally is not an odds maker. Just 12 months later, Boeing Co. killed the Sonic Cruiser amid a sharp slump in air travel. Now, Boeing is trying again. At this year's Paris Air Show, beginning on June 15, the jetmaker is unveiling the latest details for its next big project: the 7E7. The superefficient plane, which could enter service in 2008, is critical to Boeing's future. Without investing in new commercial jets, Boeing will lose more and more business to rival Airbus Industrie, and, some experts fear, eventually fade from the industry. "This is a big deal for us," says Michael Bair, a Boeing vice-president who oversees the 7E7 program. "If we don't get it right, it influences our future in the business."