Sixty per cent of Boeing aircraft up for delivery to the region this year are for UAE airlines, according to Jeff Johnson, the president of Boeing Middle East.
He said cooperation between Boeing and Abu Dhabi in the manufacturing of aircraft components would lead Strata in Al Ain to position itself as one of the biggest providers of Boeing aircraft components worldwide, reported Al Ittihad, The National's sister Arabic-language newspaper.
Boeing will deliver about 45 aircraft to the region’s carriers this year, he said. It delivered 48 last year.
UAE airlines account for 58 per cent of orders for Boeing’s forthcoming 777X made by regional airlines.
Boeing yesterday confirmed that it had finalised an order for 150 777X planes from Emirates Airline made at last year’s Dubai Air Show in a deal valued at US$56 billion at list prices. The deal includes purchase rights for an additional 50 airplanes that, if exercised, could increase the value to about $75bn at list prices, Boeing said.
Last month, Emirates scrapped a $16bn order for 70 Airbus A350 widebody aircraft. The 777X, launched at the Airshow in November, is the latest version of Boeing’s best-selling widebody jet, which carries a list price of up to $320 million and has a range of up to 9,395 nautical miles.
* with Reuters
