Boeing

Trans World Airlines has announced an agreement to acquire 24 Boeing MD-83 twinjets, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group confirmed today. The value of the airplanes is approximately $1.1 billion at list prices.

The new airplanes will be produced by the Douglas Products Division of Boeing and will be delivered in 1999, between May and December. In addition to the new contract, TWA has eight MD-83 deliveries pending from a previous order.

"This order by TWA has additional significance for Boeing because it will extend production on the twinjet assembly line in Long Beach into January 2000," said Dick Pearson, vice president and general manager - Douglas Products Division. "It also further cements our long relationship with the customer that operated the only DC-1 65 years ago and the first DC-2s."

In November, Boeing announced that MD-80 and MD-90 twinjet production will phase out when current commitments are met.

The new order will boost the TWA fleet to 103 MD-80s. TWA also operates 58 DC-9s, the predecessor of the MD-80 series.

Each of the new MD-83s will be configured in the airline's new Trans World First arrangement, featuring 20 first-class seats. Overall, the airplane cabin will seat 142 passengers. The airplanes will be painted in TWA's distinctive new livery featuring a golden globe on the forward fuselage. The MD-83s will be powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines.

Trans World Airlines operates an all-Boeing jetliner fleet including 767s, 757s, and 727s, in addition to MD-80s and DC-9s.