The factory celebration was attended by more than 5,000 Boeing employees, suppliers and government officials, including Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline & Group, a delegation of dignitaries from the UAE and senior Emirates executives.
“Emirates is honored to be the recipient of Boeing’s 1000th 777, an aircraft whose advanced, long range capacity has been instrumental to our success in becoming a truly global airline,” said Al-Maktoum. “Emirates is already the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 777 and our order for an additional 93 is further testament to our belief in the product and the role this aircraft will play as we build our fleet for tomorrow and further establish Dubai’s position as one of the world’s leading air travel hubs.”
“It is very fitting that Emirates is the recipient of our milestone 1000th 777 delivery. Emirates has set an industry high bar in providing excellent customer service and we are honored that the 777 is central to its efforts to be a global airline leader,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Emirates, the largest airline in the world in terms of international revenue passenger kilometers, now flies to 122 destinations worldwide. In addition to the 1,000th Boeing 777 passenger aircraft, Emirates also received a Boeing 777 freighter, the eighth to join its fleet, on 1 March 2012.