Boeing

British Airways, flagship carrier of the United Kingdom, recently took delivery of its 25th Boeing 777. The airline has 20 more 777s to be delivered from its total order of 45. British Airways' first 777 was delivered in November 1995.

British Airways is the largest Boeing 777 customer outside the United States. The relationship goes back to 1941 when the carrier took delivery of three Boeing 314 Clippers. In 1956, British Airways entered the jet age with its first order for a Boeing 707 and now flies more than 280 Boeing airplanes. The carrier operates several Boeing airplane models including the 737, 747, 757 and 767. The newest addition to the fleet is a 777-200ER (extended range).

"The Boeing 777 aircraft is a vital part of our strategy as we change our fleet and network structure to compete in deregulated markets," said Bob Ayling, chief executive officer - British Airways. "The economics of operating Boeing 777s and the benefits to the environment with reduced noise and emissions make the aircraft a centerpiece of our operation as we fly into the new millennium."

"We are pleased that the 777 is part of British Airways' future. The 777 product family is enormously successful because it was designed and built with our customers' needs in mind," said Alan Mulally, president - Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group. "British Airways was the first airline to receive and introduce the 777-200ER into commercial service, and we couldn't be happier that the 777 will help them expand into new markets."