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"As the largest 777 customer, it's very
appropriate that Emirates is the recipient of
our milestone 1,000th 777," said Jim Albaugh,
president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
"Emirates has set an industry high bar in
providing excellent customer service and we're
honored that the 777 is central to its efforts
to be a global airline leader."
Last year was the best year on record for 777
sales with 200 orders from 22 customers –
topping the previous record of 154 set in 2005.
Production is at an all-time high for the program
and a 20 percent rate increase begins this fall,
increasing from seven to 8.3 airplanes per month.
The program will begin building 100 airplanes
per year beginning in 2013.
Emirates is the 777 program's largest customer
with 102 Boeing 777s now in its fleet and 84 passenger
airplanes and nine freighters on order. Emirates
is the only airline that operates all six members
of the 777 family.
"Emirates is honored to be the recipient
of Boeing's 1000th 777 aircraft whose advanced
long range capacity has been instrumental in our
success of becoming a truly global airline,"
said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum,
chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline
and Group. "As the world's largest operator
of the 777, we have 93 more 777s on order, which
is testament to our belief in the product and
the role this aircraft will play in our goal to
further establish Dubai as a central gateway to
worldwide air travel."
"The ultimate measure of success in this
business is when you reach the 1,000 mark,"
said Larry Loftis, who until recently was vice
president and general manager of the 777 program.
"Reaching this milestone puts the 777 in
an exclusive club and I would like to thank all
our employees, suppliers and customers who made
it possible."
"Reaching this milestone requires two things,"
Loftis added. "A product that provides exceptional
value and a world-class production system to reliably
bring that product to the marketplace – and
we have both on the 777 program. As a result,
the 777 program reached this milestone faster
than any other twin-aisle airplane because of
the 777's proven performance, exceptional value,
continuous innovation and progressive environmental
performance."
The 1,000th 777 is a 777-300ER (extended range)
model that seats 360 passengers in a three-class
configuration.
To date, the company has recorded orders for
1,361 Boeing 777s to 64 customers around the globe.
SOURCE Boeing
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