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Boeing (NYSE:BA) said Thursday that Bahrain-based Gulf Air agreed to purchase of 12 787 Dreamliner jets with options for six more, an order that will bring the carrier’s firm order book to 14 of the widebody jets.
The companies did not disclose the terms or price of the deal, but based on previous 787 deals, the purchase should be worth ~$2.8B, according to Bloomberg.
Gulf Air said it currently has 10 of the Dreamliner aircraft in service, which have been key for long-haul flights, and the deal is part of its aim to further expand its international network across markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S.
As part of the latest purchase agreement, Gulf Air will equip the 787s with General Electric (GE) engines, snubbing Rolls-Royce (OTCPK:RYCEY) (OTCPK:RYCEF), whose Trent 1000 engines are on the 10 Dreamliners the carrier currently operates.
While the Dreamliner comes with two engine options, Rolls-Royce (OTCPK:RYCEY) (OTCPK:RYCEF) has grappled with technical issues and is in the process of upgrading the engine to make it more reliable, although the second phase of the fixes will not be available until 2026.
Separately, Angola’s state-owned carrier TAAG will acquire Boeing (NYSE:BA) 787-10 aircraft and spare engines through a $297M financing deal approved by the U.S. Export-Import Bank.