orders 12 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft
in $3.3 billion deal
Saudi Arabian Airlines
orders 12 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft
in $3.3 billion deal
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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s national carrier said Sunday it has ordered 12 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a deal valued at $3.3 billion that reflects continued growth in the oil-rich Gulf region’s airline sector.
The carrier said in a statement that it also ordered eight Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Those aircraft, however, were not included in the $3.3-billion price tag. The airline’s director-general, Khaled al-Mulhim, said the decision came as “part of a long-term strategy to expand and modernize our fleet with newer and more fuel-efficient airplanes.” Several of the major carriers in the region have been aggressively expanding their service, even as their U.S. counterparts are retrenching. That growth has translated to several multibillion-dollar purchases. ----------------------------------- Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Domestic and international charter flights are operated, mostly during Ramadan and the Hajj season. The airline's main operational base is at Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED). Other major hubs are Riyadh-King Khalid International Airport (RUH), and Dammam-King Fahd International Airport (DMM). When U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented a Douglas DC-3 as a gift to King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud in 1945, the event marked the Kingdom's gradual development of civil aviation.
The nation's flag carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines was founded in September 1946 as a fully-owned government agency under the control of the Ministry of Defense, with TWA running the airline under a management contract. Using only two engines produces a typical operating cost advantage of around 8-9 percent for the -300ER over the A340-600, along with a 20 percent fuel burn advantage over the 747-400. Several airlines have acquired the -300ER as a 747-400 replacement amid rising fuel prices. As of September 2010, -300ER deliveries to 21 different customers totaled 248, with 198 unfilled orders. Operators had 237 aircraft in service as of July 2010. The 777-300ER's is the well known among many airline companies around the world and by the customers which is the fuel efficiency and built for the eco environments. The carrier said in a statement that it also ordered eight Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The 787 decreased operating costs becuase of its more fuel efficient performance, increased revenue potential from cargo capability is drawing customer interest. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long range, mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It seats 210 to 330 passengers, depending on variant. Originally scheduled to enter service in May 2008, the aircraft's maiden flight took place on December 15, 2009, in the Seattle area and is currently undergoing flight testing with a goal of receiving its type certificate in late 2010, and to enter service in 2011.
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