Bernard J Dunn, president of Boeing Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey, told Daily News Egypt that his company is considering setting up an office in the Egyptian market for the first time, adding, “we are working on a major defence deal and if we win it, we will open an office in Egypt next year”. Dunn noted, on the sidelines of Boeing's suhoor event on Monday evening, that the planned office will be primarily responsible only for Egypt. However, plans may change according to conditions. Dunn said that Boeing's cooperation with Egypt's flag carrier EgyptAir is very good and it is one of the company's best customers, adding, “we see that the vision of EgyptAir is very good. We are looking forward to great things with EgyptAir.” Dunn mentioned that Boeing is focusing on EgyptAir and the defence domain, while cooperation with other airlines is not at the same level, noting that his company will deliver new planes to EgyptAir soon. Last November, EgyptAir announced it had entered a long-term lease agreement with AerCap for 15 Airbus A320 aircraft powered by LEAP-1A engines and six Boeing 787-9 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce engines. Dunn noted that about 60% of EgyptAir's fleet, about 57 aircraft, are Boeing, adding, “we are looking forward to boosting cooperation with EgyptAir. We believe that EgyptAir needs more Dreamliners and we will try to increase our share of their fleet.” He added that Dreamliner models are more efficient in terms of fuel consumption and profitability, noting that EgyptAir already contracted with Boeing on one of the Dreamliner models. Meanwhile, Dunn said that research and development (R&D) is a very interesting area for Boeing, noting that the company conducts experiments in different countries, including the UAE and South Africa. “We try to find the right way to develop economically sustainable biofuel from the natural plants on the Gulf coast,” said Dunn, adding that it is a promising experiment because plant's seeds contain plenty of energy. Dunn said that the company conducts other experiments on developing and using electric aeroplanes, noting that Dreamliner models are the best example of R&D as they are not metal planes but carbon composites ones. Boeing's global reach includes customers in approximately 150 countries and operations in more than 65. The company has manufacturing, service, and technology partnerships with companies and governments worldwide and contracts with more than 20,000 diverse suppliers and partners, according to the company's website.
