FRANKFURT, Germany — Boeing is confident that its new 450-seat 747-8 will appeal to European and Asian air carriers looking to fill more seats, an executive touting the new version of the company”s famous plane said Wednesday.

Jeff Peace, vice president and program manager for Boeing”s 747 program, said the new plane will be slightly longer, accommodate more passengers, be able to fly farther and _ in a nod to European airports _ be quieter because of new engine designs.

“The engines and the wings are the two things we have been working on,” he told reporters.

Boeing hopes its new 747-8, a modification of the 747-400 plane, will plug the 200-seat gap between Airbus” A380 and other large wide-bodied planes such as Airbus” A340-600 and Boeing”s 777-300ER and 747-400.

The A380 is designed to carry an average of 555 passengers in a three-class layout up to distances of 15,000 kilometers, or more than 9,300 miles. So far, 159 of the planes have been ordered by 16 customers with the first deliveries to Singapore Airlines expected by the end of the year.

Boeing”s new 747-8 program was launched last year, with assembly due in 2008 and delivery of a cargo version, the 747-8F, in 2009, followed by the passenger version, the Intercontinental, in 2010.

Though there have been no orders for the passenger model yet, Peace said that dozens of airlines have been in talks with the American manufacturer. In November 2005, Luxembourg-based cargo operator Cargolux bought 10 of the new freighter versions, with purchase rights for 10 more.

“We still anticipate orders for the Intercontinental this year,” he said of the passenger plane, which will be 3.6 meters, or more than 11 feet, longer than the 747-400, and have redesigned increased fuel-capacity wings.

Because of the longer length, airlines could add as many as 34 more seats, based on how they configure the plane”s cabin.

Inside, the biggest change is the development of a sky loft whereby the company is taking advantage of the space above the passenger cabin to create a second level that could be configured to hold anything from business conference rooms to exercise areas to sleeping compartments.

“Those won”t be used during takeoff because of evacuation requirements,” Peace said.

Peace said Boeing expects to sell both models of the 747 for between US$260 million to US$280 million with initial demand coming from Europe and Asia.

“Over the next 20 years we see need for about 900 airplanes,” he said, with 300 being freighters and the remainder for passenger use.