Boeing said China will get its first 787 Dreamliner before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The world's largest commercial airplane maker said the first of the 787 Dreamliners will be delivered to Japan, with the next few to China, Bloomberg News reported, citing Michael Bair, Boeing's 787 program manager. Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Xiamen Airlines ordered a total 60 Dreamliners in 2005.

"We'll have a couple of airplanes that go into Japan, and then right after that the bulk of the following deliveries for a couple of months are essentially all for Chinese carriers," Bair said during a conference call on March 20. "All of the Chinese carriers that have ordered are very interested in getting the airplane on time for the Olympics."

Chicago-based Boeing is counting on the Dreamliner to win back dominance of the US$60-billion-a-year jetliner market from European rival Airbus. The aircraft maker has booked 490 orders from 38 customers for its 787 Dreamliner, its most successful new product, and is now sold out for the next six years, Bair said earlier. Dreamliner aircraft seat between 200 and 300 passengers, depending on the model.