Page 85 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2017 Online Magazine

FEATURE REGIONAL AIRLINES

and ensure that all aircraft are delivered to for 20 aircraft plus 20 options, and is valued Kuwait Airways most popular international
Iran, Fabrice Bergier, Airbus CEO said, “It at one billion euro. destination is London and the new B777-
has been a complex process to get all the 300ER was first deployed on this route.
clearances from the first announcement in Kuwait Airways The Gulf carrier also has on order ten A350-
January. We applied for all the licenses to the The national carrier of the State of Kuwait, 900s and fifteen A320neo Family jetliners
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Kuwait Airways is amid a major revamp as from Airbus, all of which are to be delivered
we got that. We will abide by the rules of the part of a five-year transformation strategy. by 2021. The A350-900s will be used on the
international community.” Bregier however, As part of the new transformation strategy, airline’s long haul network, while the A320neo
did not rule out the delivery of additional the state run airline has unveiled a new livery will enhance its domestic network.
airplanes in 2017 to Iran Air. and is inducting new aircraft to overhaul its
In January, last year, the U.S. Department long-haul fleet. “Kuwait Airways’ five-year
of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets transformation plan got underway in 2016
Control (OFAC) announced that it would with the launch of our new livery and branding
allow U.S. and non-U.S. persons to request and this transformation was added to
specific authorisation from OFAC to engage further, in November, with the announcement
in transactions for the sale of commercial of our new schedule,” said Rasha Al-Roumi,
passenger aircraft and related parts and Chairperson and CEO of Kuwait Airways. “The
services to Iran and that specific licenses launch of our new livery is an unreservedly
would be issued on a case-by-case basis. clear statement-of-intent,” she adds. Kuwait
OFAC export licences were granted to Airways had placed firm orders for 10 Boeing
Airbus in November 2016. In December 2016, 777-300ERs (Extended Range), valued at $3.3
Boeing announced that it had reached an billion at list prices in December 2014 and has
agreement with Iran Air for the procurement already taken delivery of two aircraft over
of 80 single-aisle and twin-aisle jetliners the last few months. The airline is to take
worth approximately U.S. $16.6 billion (at delivery of all 10 aircraft it has on order before
list prices). The Iran Air order will include 50 the end of 2017. The Boeing 777-300ER can kuwait Airways has
737 MAX 8s, 15 777-300ERs and 15 777-9s. carry 386 passengers in a standard three- launched a five year
transformation
in
plan
Deliveries are slated to commence in 2018. class configuration up to 7,825 nautical miles which its brand new Boeing
Iran Air had also placed firm orders with ATR (14,490 kilometers), on non-stop routes. 777-300ERs
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