Boeing

The Boeing 767 Program today celebrated a unique program milestone - the delivery of airplane No. 767. This airplane is the 767th 767 to be built by The Boeing Company. The airplane - a 767-300ER (extended range) - delivered to G.E. Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), of Stamford, Conn., and will be operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines.

"With this delivery, we've reached our 'signature' number 767," said John Quinlivan, 767 vice president and general manager. "The fact that we've delivered this many model 767s is a testament to the quality and reliability of the 767, to the talented Boeing people who build them and to the 800 suppliers around the globe, who supply the more than 3.1 million parts that comprise this beautiful airplane."

Quinlivan also noted that the 767 program reaches this milestone on the eve of another significant event: the first flight of the 767-400ER.

"Next week's first flight of the 767-400ER underscores the popularity of this airplane, which has a very bright future," he said.

In its 17 years in service, the Boeing 767 has gained the well-earned reputation as the most widely used airplane over the north Atlantic. Each month, it flies more than 11,000 flights between the United States and Europe - almost as many as all other airplanes combined.

"We congratulate Boeing on this major milestone. The 767 is one of the most successful commercial airplanes in the industry's history," said Henry Hubschman, president, GE Capital Aviation Services. "We look forward to continuing to work with Boeing in the future."

Aeroflot plans to use its newest 767-300ER, plus one delivered in August and two more to be delivered later this year, on its American routes from Moscow to Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Aeroflot has configured its new airplane for 197 passengers in three classes: 10 in first class, 34 in business class and 153 in economy. All four airplanes have a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system with in-seat video installed in first and business classes.

One of the reasons airlines and passengers have made the 767 so popular is the convenience and affordability provided by extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS). ETOPS essentially is a definition of how much flying time a two-engine airplane can be from a suitable alternate airport. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows ETOPS flights up to 180 minutes. Since 1985, when the FAA gave its approval to the 767 as the first U.S. commercial airplane to fly 120-minute ETOPS flights, 66 airlines have flown 767s on more than 1,260,000 flights with a level of safety and reliability that matches any other airplane in the commercial fleet. Since its launch in 1978, investors and financiers have rated the Boeing 767 as one of the world's most valued airplanes in terms of reliability, lower operating costs and multiple market flexibility. To date, 872 767s have been ordered by customers worldwide.