The credit crunch has made it tough for customers to get bank financing for aircraft, but McNerney said Boeing orders through 2009 have been accounted for, and the Boeing Capital Corp. unit is ready to step up with at least $1 billion of financing as needed. Boeing said 80% of its commercial aircraft order backlog is eligible for financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

(In "UPDATE: Boeing Lowers 2009 EPS Outlook, Faces Challenges," at 1:19 p.m. EST, it was mistakenly reported that 80% of Boeing customers were counting on the bank for financing.)

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