Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Oman Air today celebrated the
delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airline ordered six
7878-s in November 2011 as part of its expansion plans.
“We are
delighted to receive our first Dreamliner which combined with Oman Air’s
award-winning service will provide an excellent travel experience for our customers,”
said Paul Gregorowitsch, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air. “Our decision to
invest in this game-changing airplane underlines our confidence in the 787 and
the value it will add in terms of reliability, operational efficiency and comfort.”
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an all-new, super-efficient
family of commercial airplanes that brings big-jet ranges and speed to the
middle of the market. In response to airlines’ overwhelming preference, Boeing
designed the 787 family with superior efficiency, which allows airlines to
profitably open new routes to fly people directly where they’d like to go in exceptional
comfort. Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has opened more than 50
new non-stop routes around
the world. Oman Air has announced that it will
deploy its first Dreamliner on services to Saudi Arabia and Europe.
“We’re proud to have Oman Air join our growing base
of 787 customers in the Middle East and around the world,” said Boeing
Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. “Our partnership with Oman
Air dates back almost 15 years during which time the airline has been operating
the 737 family. We’re delighted to help introduce Boeing twin-aisle airplanes
into its growing fleet.”
Boeing currently has eight 787 customers in the
Middle East with a total of 175 Dreamliners ordered and 140 in backlog. Boeing
has also been contracted by Oman Air for a suite of services to support the
upcoming entry into service of its 787 Dreamliners and to ensure ongoing efficiency
and cost savings for its fleet. These services will help Oman Air minimize the time and cost of maintenance while increasing
airplane availability.