Saudi Airlines orders 20 Boeing 777, 787 aircraft

Saudi Arabia's national carriers said Sunday that it had ordered 12 Boeing 777-300ER and eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners to boost its fleet.

According to a statement by the state-owned Saudi Arabian Airline, the 777-300ER deal was valued at 3.3 billion U.S. dollars at average list prices, with an option for 10 more of the aircraft. The price tag of the 787 Dreamliners was not given in the release.

"Our decision to order the 777-300ER is part of a long-term growth strategy to expand and modernize our fleet with newer, more fuel-efficient airplanes," the carrier's director-general Khaled al-Mulhim said in the statement.

"We see direct benefit because of the 777-300ER's improved fuel efficiency, seat-mile costs and the economics of operating a twin- engine airplane over long distances," he said.

The 777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin-engine aircraft with a capability of carrying up to 365 passengers up to about 14.7 kilometers.

The Saudi airline is already operating 23 Boeing 777-200ERs on short, medium and long-haul routes. The deal would bring up to 35 the number of Boeing 777s deployed by the flag carrier. 
(Source:xinhua)