BOEING Co. said Tuesday it had received an order for a private 787 plane from Hong Kong real-estate tycoon Joseph Lau.

The order for Boeing's new carbon-composite 787-8 model, which can seat up to 250 people if configured as a normal airliner, is valued at US$153 million at list price, the planemaker said.

In all, Boeing said it now has seven orders for private 787s, or 787 VIPs as it calls them. It is pitching this mega-business jet at wealthy entrepreneurs, especially in Asia, where businesspeople tend to travel longer distances.

It has not made public the names of other 787 VIP buyers. The first 787 is set to roll off Boeing's Seattle production line in July and is set for its first test flight in August.

The private 787 has 223 square meters of cabin space, about the same as a tennis court.

The regular version of the 787-8 is designed to carry 210 to 250 passengers on routes of up to 15,186 km, making a nonstop trip from Hong Kong to Los Angeles or New York possible.

Lau is one of Asia's richest entrepreneurs, with a net worth of about US$2.1 billion, according to Forbes magazine. He holds stakes in Hong Kong property developer Chinese Estates Holdings Ltd. and department store owner Lifestyle International Holdings Ltd.

He is one of the world's leading art buyers, setting a record for Andy Warhol purchases last year when he bought the artist's portrait of late Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong for US$17.4 million.

Lau is also a red wine collector, reportedly owning more than 10,000 bottles.

Editor: Yan