Boeing, Qatar Airways ink agreement for nine 777-300ERs
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Boeing and Qatar Airways announced agreements for nine Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes at the 2013 Paris Air Show.
The agreements include a firm order for two airplanes that was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing Commercial Airplanes Orders and Deliveries website, plus a commitment for an additional seven airplanes. The total value of the agreement is US$2.8 billion at current list prices.
The airline currently operates 35 Boeing passenger aircraft, including 22 777-300ERs and nine 777-200LR (Longer Range) airplanes. The two firm airplanes give Qatar Airways a backlog of nine Boeing 777s; when the additional seven become firm, the backlog will rise to 16.
“The 777 will continue to play a key role in enabling Qatar Airways to operate more direct non-stop flights from Doha to destinations in many markets including Australasia and the United States,” said Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker.
“We have already shown a desire to open up new destinations in the US, and the Boeing 777 will further feature in our expansion plans in this part of the world.”
The demand for the Boeing 777 led to an increased production rate of 8.3 per month — 100 airplanes per year — in February 2013. In the past three years, the 777 program has increased rate two times, first from five airplanes per month to seven in 2011, then to the current, all-time high rate of 8.3. As of May 2013, 1,105 777s have been delivered and a total of 1,452 have been ordered by 68 customers around the globe.
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