THE NATIONAL carrier, EgyptAir, has taken delivery of two new Boeing planes, the B777-300 and B737-800. The new deliveries, the last for this year, have expanded the carrier's fleet into 73 aircraft. "We are committed to offer the best services to our clients as well as to continue upgrading and modernising the fleet," stated Hussein Massoud, chairman and CEO of EgyptAir holding company. More four B737-800 are scheduled to be delivered during the second half of 2011. Airline CEO Alaa Ashour highlighted the arrival of the new B777 as boosting the carrier's ability to offer better services. "The B777-300 is classified among the best passenger aircraft all over the world. It enables passengers to benefit from the advanced services offered onboard," he added. The B777-300 has 49 business seats that convert into full flat bed seats and 129 economy seats, with personal screens for each seat displaying about 30 entertainment channels. "The B777-300 is to serve on long routes in the Far East, the States and North America while the B737-800 will serve our network in Europe and Africa," Ashour added. The airline reached a code share with Scandinavia's SAS airline on flights from the northern Europe countries and Africa. "EgyptAir customers are now able to fly from Copenhagen to Stockholm, Oslo, Gothenburg , Brussels and Athens onboard SAS when booking with EgyptAir. In return, SAS customers now can fly between Cairo - Copenhagen, from Cairo to Athens and from Brussels to Cairo," Ashour stated. Japan's ANA airlines also signed last week a code-share with EgyptAir, under which ANA will place its two- letter "NH" code on the six weekly flights between Cairo and Tokyo's Narita and the four weekly flights between Cairo and Kansai (Osaka) operated by EgyptAir. EgyptAir will place its "MS" code on ANA operated flights between Kansai and Sapporo/Haneda/ Fukuoka as well as flights between Narita and Osaka. On the other hand, Boeing this week announced its production rate for the 777 program will increase to 8.3 airplanes per month in the first quarter 2013. This is the second production increase announced for the program this year. In March the program announced it would increase production from five to seven airplanes per month beginning in mid-2011. "In response to strong customer demand globally, we are increasing our yearly production to 100 777s," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh. "The 777 has a large installed operator base, and a track record of proven performance including 1,163 orders, 907 deliveries and a backlog of more than 250 airplanes. Suppliers are prepared to support the rate increase."
