Air Pacific adds 3 Boeing 787s to previous order

Fiji-based Air Pacific has added three of Boeing Co.'s new 787s to a previous order for five of the midsize, long-haul jetliners as part of a plan to update its fleet, the companies said Monday.

Terms were not disclosed. Chicago-based Boeing said the 787-9s were worth $580 million at list price, though airlines typically negotiate steep discounts.

Air Pacific also reserved purchase rights for additional 787-9s, one of three 787 models Boeing is offering.

Air Pacific will use the 787s to update its current twin-aisle fleet, which includes two 747-400s and one extended-range version of the 767-300, serving the United States, Japan and other destinations in the Pacific.

The companies said the new planes will help the airline fly to more places in Asia and around the Pacific Rim.

To date, Boeing has won 817 orders for the 787, its first new airplane since the 777, which airlines started flying in 1995. The 787 is scheduled to enter flight testing by the end of March and be delivered to its first customer, Japan's All Nippon Airways Co., by the end of the year -- about six months later than initially planned.

Boeing said Air Pacific placed its latest order in 2007, and that the deal was previously attributed to an unidentified customer.