EVERETT, Wash, Dec. 22, 1997 -- His Excellency Dr. Khaled Ben Bakr, the Director General, Saudi Arabian Airlines, today led a Saudi Arabian delegation in taking delivery of the first Boeing jetliners from a 1995 order. The $7.5 billion Saudi Arabian Airlines order remains the largest ever by a Middle East carrier.
At the delivery ceremony, Boeing featured Saudi Arabian Airlines' new 747-400, 777-200, MD-11F and MD-90 airplanes. The event marked the first time that Boeing's 7-series jetliners and its new Douglas Products Division airplanes shared the same stage. Attending the ceremony were Minister Ahmed Kattan, Saudi Arabia's deputy chief of mission; Phil Condit, chairman and chief executive officer, The Boeing Company; and Saudi Arabian Airlines executives and staff. The ceremony took place at the flightline next to the Boeing Everett factory, where the 747, 767 and 777 jetliners are assembled.
"The significance of the first delivery is tremendous," Condit said. "We can now trace our partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines back to 1945, when it took delivery of its first DC-3. We're pleased that the past 52 years have brought greater prosperity to the airline and to the people of Saudi Arabia. Boeing is proud to be a partner with the Kingdom, and we look forward to many more years of working together for our mutual benefit."
The ceremony also marked a significant milestone for the 777 program. The 777 presented today is the 100th to be delivered since the program's launch in October 1990.
In June 1995, Saudi Arabian Airlines began the expansion and renewal of its commercial fleet, with the order of 61 new jetliners from Boeing and the former McDonnell Douglas Corp., which are now one company. The order includes 23 long-range 777-200s; five aerodynamically advanced 747-400 passenger jets; four MD-11F cargo planes; and 29 MD-90s. The airline selected GE90 engines for the 777, and GE CF6-80C2 engines for the 747-400 and MD-11. The MD-90s are powered by V2500 engines from International Aero Engines.
The airplane order was confirmed during a 1995 contract-signing ceremony at Washington, D.C., attended by U.S. President Bill Clinton and His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's second deputy prime minister; minister of defense and aviation; and inspector general and chairman of the board of directors of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
"The importance of Saudi Arabian Airlines to the economic and social well-being of the Kingdom can be gauged not only by the vital transportation link the airline provides, but by the airline's stature among Saudi businesses," said Seddik Belyamani, vice president -- International Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.