Boeing [NYSE: BA] confirmed that Travel Service, the largest private airline company in the Czech Republic, placed an order for two Next-Generation 737-900ERs with advanced-technology Blended Winglets.
SEATTLE – The airline holds purchase rights for an additional two airplanes of the same model.
Prague-based Travel Service will be the fourth European carrier to operate the 737-900ER model, which Boeing launched in 2005 as a higher-capacity, longer-range complement to its single-aisle 737 family of airplanes. The order is valued at $150 million at list prices. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009.
„The Boeing 737-900ER will integrate seamlessly into our highly reliable and economical 737 fleet,“ said Roman Vik, Chairman of Travel Service. „With its added capacity, the 737-900ER will complement our current operation and help it grow more profitably.“
Travel Service already operates an all-Boeing fleet of 10 737s, including seven Next-Generation 737-800s. The company operates charter flights to more than 230 airports on four continents, as well as low-cost scheduled service to major European destinations through its Smart Wings brand.
„Boeing is delighted that Travel Service has joined a growing list of leading global carriers to recognize the value of the Boeing 737-900ER,“ said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales for Europe, Russia and Central Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. „Travel Service will benefit from the higher capacity, longer range and efficiency of the Boeing 737-900ER.“
The Boeing 737-900ER is the largest member of the 737 airplane family and can carry more passengers and fly farther than the 737-900. The derivative seats up to 215 passengers and flies up to 3,200 nautical miles (5,925 kilometers), making the range comparable to the 737-800. The airplanes will be fitted with Blended Winglets, which create an additional 3 to 5 percent in fuel efficiency, and provide a reduction in community noise at takeoff.
As of Aug. 31, 2006, 100 customers have placed orders for more than 3,300 Next-Generation 737s; the program has 1,360 unfilled orders with a value of about $91 billion at current list prices.