Boeing expects its first order for the new 747-8 passenger plane shortly, global head of sales for the aircraft maker said on Tuesday.

"It's always hard to predict these things but certainly this year," Scott Carson said in an interview during Chile's International Air and Space Fair, FIDAE.

Carson also said another new Boeing aircraft, the 787-8 Dreamliner, is expected to make its maiden flight in 2007. Up to 50 percent of the craft will be made from composite materials with the aim of making it more fuel efficient. It will be designed to carry up to 250 passengers on routes as long as 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 kms).

But the 787 is currently above its weight goal.

Carson said he expected further tweaking of the design to bring the weight down. "The number of opportunities we have for getting the weight back out are sufficient for us to address," Carson said.

US airlines cut back on new plane orders immediately following the September 11, 2001 attacks. An inability to hedge against higher fuel prices, labor disputes, fare wars and bankruptcies have limited most US carriers from upgrading their fleets.

Carson said major carriers in Europe are beginning to issue requests for proposals to Boeing and Airbus, the world's two biggest plane makers.

"We are currently responding to a request from Lufthansa. British Airways we would hope to see them in the market later this year. Alitalia is harder to say. KLM and Air France we would expect to see (soon)," Carson said.

"The campaigns (in Europe between Airbus and Boeing to win a sales order) are often for smaller numbers of airplanes but happen more frequently, though in the case of Lufthansa it's a major campaign," he said.

In the United States, Carson said he expects the so-called legacy carriers, such as American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, to start putting out requests for proposals later this year or next.

"Their first step is to upgrade the aircraft they have in the fleet to improve the passenger experience, that'll happen first," he said.

In Asia, where there was a boom in orders last year, Carson said purchases could moderate.

"In India, both the major international operators, Air-India and Indian Airlines, have made their selections now, so you won't see another one of those... I think in India the big push is over, but China will remain a strong market."

Carson said he did not expect a backlash against the United States to cloud a decision that Dubai-based airline Emirates is making about a new plane order. A ports company owned by the United Arab Emirates transferred operations of six US port terminals to a US entity, bowing to pressure from the US Congress, where many lawmakers worried the deal would provide an avenue for extremist attacks.

"Politics are always difficult. Emirates made a large triple-7 buy last year and are evaluating the 787 versus the (Airbus) A350. I think they will go for the product that best meets their needs," Carson said.

In Latin America, Carson said demand in the market in the short term would be driven by low-cost operators such as Gol Brazil and new low-cost operators in Mexico.

"The 787 will make inroads (in Latin America) in the next couple of years," he said.