Boeing

Midway Airlines today became the newest Boeing customer, placing an order for 15 Next-Generation 737-700s and 10 options, allowing the airline to increase service from its hub in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. The airline also announced it will lease two additional 737-700s from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).

Delivery of the first 737-700, on lease from GECAS, is scheduled for December 1999 and joins a fleet of 20 Canadair Regional Jets and eight Fokker F100s.

"The Next-Generation 737 is a great airplane and very fuel efficient, allowing us to be more cost competitive," said Bob Ferguson, president and chief executive officer - Midway Airlines. "We evaluated all our options, including our experience with other airplanes in this size range, and were convinced that the Boeing Next-Generation 737 provides significant advantages in reliability, lower maintenance costs and unsurpassed customer service."

"We are delighted Midway has joined the growing list of Next-Generation 737 operators and look forward to a long-term working relationship," said Seddik Belyamani, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group executive vice president - Sales and Marketing. "The addition of a dynamic, profitable company like Midway is the most recent example of airlines seizing the opportunity to maximize profitability and please their customers at the same time."

Midway Airlines plans to use its new airplanes to increase growth and frequency on existing routes. The airline currently operates a route structure that reaches from Boston, Mass., in the north, to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Cancun, Mexico in the south.