AMID keen local and international interest and with the attendance of Egypt's Minister of Civil Aviation Ahmed Shafiq, US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey and Vice Chairman of Boeing Company in Middle East and Africa, EgyptAir, the national carrier, hosted a huge gala at the Cairo International Airport to celebrate the arrival of first Boeing R300/777. Representatives of airlines and travel companies, banks, businessmen, media and senior officials attended the event, in which renowned Egyptian pianist Omar Khayart gave a wonderful concert. During the gala, the Chairman of Egypt's national carrier Hussein Massoud delivered a speech, in which he stressed that the arrival ofsuch a giant and state-of-the-art airliner gives yet a fresh signal of the implementation of EgyptAir's strategy in modernising and developing its fleet that could cope with the new Terminal 3. "It's a gathering where partners get to meet under the umbrella of the Ministry of Civil Aviation," Massoud said, adding that EgyptAir was due to take delivery of three more Boeing R300/777 during 2010 and two others in the first third of the year 2011. Alaa Ashour, the Chairman of EgyptAir Airlines Company, meanwhile, made clear that the arrival of such aircraft caps efforts exerted by the company's staff. "The aircraft will operate daily flights between Cairo and London. As for the second aircraft, it will operate on the Cairo-Tokyo route after its arrival next month," Ashour said. He added that the third and fourth planes would fly daily to JFK Airport in New York. Boeing 777 has consistently exceeded its initial performance specifications and is continually selected by passengers as the most preferred airplane in its class. To date, 44 airlines around the world have placed 827 firm orders for the 777. The 777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin-engine jetliner and is capable of carrying 346 passengers up to 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 kilometres) while burning 24 per cent less fuel per passenger. It includes 49 seats for first and businessmen class and 297 seats for economic class. The aircraft is equipped with hi-tech facilities for communication and necessities that could meet requirements and laws of the international civil aviation. EgyptAir is the first company in Africa that includes such aircraft into its fleet. [email protected]
