Boeing and
Azerbaijan Airlines have signed an order for three 787-8 Dreamliners and
two Next-Generation 737-900ERs (Extended Range).Azerbaijan Airlines, based in Baku, Azerbaijan, becomes the first
airline throughout the republics of the former Soviet Union to order the
787 and the 737-900ER. The order is valued at $609 million at list
prices.

“This order is a momentous step in our history,” said Jahangir Askerov,
director general of Azerbaijan Airlines. “With the twin-aisle 787, we
will enter the long-haul market for the first time. By expanding our
fleet with long-haul twin-aisle airplanes, we will offer our customers
many more choices for far-away destinations. We are eager to enter this
new chapter in our proud history, and are delighted to do it with the
most capable and comfortable airplanes in the world.”

The carrier will operate the 787 on routes to the East, Southeast Asia
and North America. The 737-900ERs will be placed on routes to Europe,
Russia and other regional destinations.

“We are proud of our partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines,” said Craig
Jones, Boeing vice president of Sales for Central Asia and Russia.
“Since Azerbaijan Airlines took delivery of its first Western-built
aircraft in 2000, a Boeing 757, we have worked very successfully with
Azerbaijan Airlines. We look forward to being a valued contributor to
its future success. We are confident the 787 and 737-900ER will be
powerful tools that allow Azerbaijan Airlines to continue its leadership
and expand its services for passengers.”

Azerbaijan Airlines selected the General Electric GEnx engine to power
its 787s.

Launched in April 2004, the 787 Dreamliner is the world’s newest and
most technologically advanced commercial jetliner. It offers a broad
inventory of innovations that make it more fuel efficient, more
economical for airlines and more comfortable for passengers.

The 787 will use 20 percent less fuel than today’s airplanes of
comparable size and provide airlines with up to 45 percent more cargo
revenue capacity. Its long range allows carriers to offer passengers the
point-to-point service they prefer, bypassing inconvenient connections
at crowded hub airports.

The first flight of the 787 is scheduled for 2007, with entry into
service in 2008. With 468 orders from 37 customers around the world, the
Dreamliner is the most successful new airplane introduction in history.

The 737-900ER is Boeing’s newest addition to the popular line of 737
single-aisle aircraft. Boeing launched the 737-900ER in 2005 as a
higher-capacity, longer-range complement to the 737 family. The
737-900ER is the largest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane
family. It seats up to 215 passengers and flies up to 3,200 nautical
miles (5,900 kilometers), making the range comparable to the 737-800.

The 737-900ER features Blended Winglets, which enable an additional
three to five percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

The 737-900ER shares the same industry-leading reliability of the other
Next-Generation 737 series models. The Next-Generation 737s are ten
years newer and fly higher, faster and farther than competing models.
Boeing has sold nearly 3,700 Next-Generation 737s, and has a backlog
exceeding 1,500 airplanes worth nearly $100 billion.
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