EgyptAir Completes Its Boeing Deal with the Arrival of the Ninth 737-800, the 69th Aircraft in Its Fleet

By Akram Medhat

The ninth and final aircraft in the deal concluded by EgyptAir to purchase nine new Boeing B737-800 NGs arrived at Cairo International Airport in the early hours of this morning from Boeing's factory in Seattle, United States, and joined the fleet with the registration SU-GEN.

EgyptAir has thus received all nine aircraft in less than a year, under the deal the company signed in December 2016, worth $864 million, in cooperation with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.

For his part, Safwat Moslem, Chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company, congratulated officials of Boeing and Dubai Aerospace Enterprise on the conclusion of the Boeing B737-800NG deal and its completion on schedule.

Moslem stated that with the ninth aircraft joining the fleet today, it becomes the 69th aircraft in actual operation, excluding aircraft leased to other companies, and the 29th of this type at the company, which is the most popular and best-selling model of the new-generation Boeing 737 family. He noted that the company is working hard to modernize and develop the national air transport fleet through long- and medium-term plans befitting its name as one of the oldest airlines in the world, and to affirm its leadership in the region.

Moslem added that the company recently contracted to purchase and lease 45 new aircraft of the latest global models from Bombardier, Boeing and Airbus, in the largest deal in the national carrier's history, estimated at about $6 billion, with deliveries starting in 2018 and running until 2020.

Moslem stressed that renewing the fleet in general with the latest aircraft equipped with advanced technology always provides a competitive advantage among airlines, reflected in passengers' choice of airline. He pointed out that the addition of a new aircraft lowers the average age of the aircraft, bringing the average age of the company's Boeing 737-800 aircraft to 6 years, while the average age of the fleet overall is now among the youngest in the region. He added that this type also features technological advancement and the highest levels of comfort and safety that EgyptAir is keen to provide to its customers.

Moslem explained that the addition of the new aircraft will reduce operating and maintenance costs, thus increasing profitability, especially as they are among the most fuel-efficient aircraft, while offering more comfort and distinguished services to customers, and will help expand the route network, increase daily flight frequencies and open new routes.

It is worth noting that the aircraft has a capacity of 154 seats, 16 in business class and 138 in economy class, with larger overhead space for storing hand luggage on board, LED ceiling lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness, side walls with modern patterns, brighter decor and colors, and new power sources for charging phones, laptops and other devices during the flight.

The distance between the aircraft's seats has also been increased to 32 inches in economy class and 48 inches in business class, exceeding the space commonly found worldwide in this aircraft type. The aircraft also has a personal video system showing the latest feature films and documentaries.

The aircraft cabin has also been equipped with advanced entertainment systems, and this model is the first of its kind to use the AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) system, which provides a personal front screen for each seat, allowing passengers to watch independently of and differently from the other passengers.

The new aircraft is scheduled to begin operating on international routes, especially to Europe and the Arabian Gulf, alongside the modern models in the fleet, as these destinations see strong competition among airlines to win customers' trust.