Toulouse - Alright, I admit the comment about the trees was a bit insensitive. I was more poking fun that if they are rushing so this can fly in a month they better keep it away from the public in general.
The info regarding the 500 orders is in the papers here and represents the combined orders of several airlines. They are not firm orders as of yet. Here is the quote along with the source. It is not the entire article:
Boeings dreams for 7E7 jetline take off
The Business 05/09/04
author: Tracey Boles
BOEING's new aircraft, the 7E7 Dreamliner, has received a big boost with 25 airlines making price enquiries for a total of 500 aircraft, The Business can reveal. The number of "request for proposals", a key step to firm orders, has staggered executives at the world's largest aerospace company because they have come so soon after launch.
