His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai, witnessed the signing at the Farnborough Air Show. The agreement was signed between H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group and Jim Albaugh, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Emirates Group senior executives, including Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman Emirates Airline & Group; Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline and Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata, were also present at the event.
'Emirates is the world's largest operator of 777s and this latest order, adding to 71 777-300ERs previously ordered, affirms Emirates' strategy to become a world leading carrier and to further establish Dubai as a central gateway to worldwide air travel,' said H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum. 'Our latest deal signals Emirates' confidence in the growth of the thriving aviation sector and our commitment to building a modern, environmentally efficient fleet for tomorrow,' he added.
The 777-300ER will be operated in a three-class configuration with eight First class suites, 42 Business class seats and 310 Economy class seats and offers an additional cargo payload of 20.1 tons. Emirates has 86 777s in service ' three -200s, six -200ERs, 10 -200LRs, 12 -300s, 53 -300ERs and two freighters.
'Emirates is today one of the world's leading airlines thanks in part to the 777. Its ambitious expansion plans have established itself as a global force in the aviation sector,' said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. 'Emirates has played an important role in the 777's success with its significant support of the program and valuable feedback over the years. Today's order serves to underscore the airline's confidence in the airplane, which forms the mainstay of its fleet.'
Emirates is on track to become one of the largest airlines in the world.' In addition to the order placed today, Emirates has 79 Airbus A380s, 70 Airbus A350s and seven Boeing freighters on order totaling 204 wide-body aircraft worth more than $67 billion dollars. In a year where the aviation industry was rocked by the economic downturn, Emirates Airline recently reported its 22nd'year of profit, up 416 percent to close at $964 million dollars over its 2008-09 profits of $187 million dollars.
