dubaiamman243 wrote:

Saudi Gulf Airline has announced its intention to buy B777 and B787 aircraft from Boeing. The announcement has been made in the presence of President Donald Trump in the Saudi capital city, Riyadh.

SQ22 wrote:

Please keep politics out of this thread.

nikeherc wrote:

SQ22 wrote:

Please keep politics out of this thread.

Since Trump is in Saudi Arabia and the announcement was made in his presence, and no mention of politics was made and it is not political. If you are asking others not to turn this thread political, that is one thing. If, on the other hand, this is an example of what I and perhaps others regard as a growing stifling of opinion on this particular forum, I would request that the moderators lighten up

jbs2886 wrote:

nikeherc wrote:

SQ22 wrote:

Please keep politics out of this thread.

Since Trump is in Saudi Arabia and the announcement was made in his presence, and no mention of politics was made and it is not political. If you are asking others not to turn this thread political, that is one thing. If, on the other hand, this is an example of what I and perhaps others regard as a growing stifling of opinion on this particular forum, I would request that the moderators lighten up

A number of political posts were removed, rightly so. You can certainly mention politics, but don't post in a way that turns it into a political debate. There's a big difference. A.net is a good safe space for me from all the politics that is everywhere and I can just read about aviation.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Could they also take up the 2 ex Air Austral birds?

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Could they also take up the 2 ex Air Austral birds?

Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Could they also take up the 2 ex Air Austral birds?

Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

jbs2886 wrote:

We still don't even have a source. And, even a google search didn't bring any news up.

Newbiepilot wrote:

Is this just firming up the order for 15 777s and 13 787s from Saudi that was discussed in September 2016?

Stitch wrote:

Newbiepilot wrote:

Is this just firming up the order for 15 777s and 13 787s from Saudi that was discussed in September 2016?

That order was for Saudi Arabian Airlines, though Boeing's O&D page doesn't show it as booked yet (unless it's as a UFO). That being said, on April 27th, Dr. Ghassan Abdul Rahman al-Shabal, chairman of the board of directors of the state-owned airlines, stated that Saudi Arabian Airlines would be adding new aircraft and "the airlines have reached a deal that will see it purchase 30 new Airbus and Boeing planes that will be delivered in 2017".

And SaudiGulf currently operates only domestically with a small fleet.

Stitch wrote:

jbs2886 wrote:

We still don't even have a source. And, even a google search didn't bring any news up.

The Kingdom just signed a very large (USD 110 billion) defense deal with the USA during the State Visit so it's quite possible that commercial deals have been or will be made during the visit, as well, even if it is not yet publicly acknowledged. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson noted the trip could generate over USD 350 billion in investments so a large commercial airliner deal would play into that total quite nicely.

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Could they also take up the 2 ex Air Austral birds?

Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

MoonC wrote:

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Could they also take up the 2 ex Air Austral birds?

Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

It is in Lourdes/Tarbes because it's in storage. I doubt Alitalia is in the position to take 2 x B77Ws in their current state.

TheGeordielad wrote:

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Could they also take up the 2 ex Air Austral birds?

Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

There not going to Alitalia anymore.

Stitch wrote:

Al Arabiya's webpage listed the Top 15 agreements signed between the US and the Kingdom this weekend, one of which is "aircraft purchase agreement between Saudi Airlines and Boeing".

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Could they also take up the 2 ex Air Austral birds?

Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

dcajet wrote:

MoonC wrote:

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.


Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

It is in Lourdes/Tarbes because it's in storage. I doubt Alitalia is in the position to take 2 x B77Ws in their current state.

TheGeordielad wrote:

zkojq wrote:

I'm skeptical. The middle east is awash with excess capacity as it is. Even if you forget about the ME3 there is significant capacity growth seemingly planned with Flyadeal, Al Maha, Flynas and now Saudi Gulf. This won't end well.


Those are going to Alitalia. I saw the first one fully painted outside the hangar at Lourdes/Tarbes a few days ago. The second one still has the Air Austral tail.

There not going to Alitalia anymore.

Actually, they are. It was confirmed yesterday by Alitalia's "extraordinary administrator", Luigi Gubitosi. He said that the 77W that is in Lourdes, painted with the AZ colors is getting a new interior fitted and will be back in FCO in August.

http://www.metronews.it/17/05/18/alital ... gosto.html

jbs2886 wrote:

dubaiamman243 wrote:

Saudi Gulf Airline has announced its intention to buy B777 and B787 aircraft from Boeing. The announcement has been made in the presence of President Donald Trump in the Saudi capital city, Riyadh.

Source?

boefan wrote:

jbs2886 wrote:

dubaiamman243 wrote:

Saudi Gulf Airline has announced its intention to buy B777 and B787 aircraft from Boeing. The announcement has been made in the presence of President Donald Trump in the Saudi capital city, Riyadh.

Source?

Here you go . Up to 16 widebody aircraft

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-t ... ce=twitter

nikeherc wrote:

SQ22 wrote:

Please keep politics out of this thread.

Since Trump is in Saudi Arabia and the announcement was made in his presence, and no mention of politics was made and it is not political. If you are asking others not to turn this thread political, that is one thing. If, on the other hand, this is an example of what I and perhaps others regard as a growing stifling of opinion on this particular forum, I would request that the moderators lighten up

DTWLUVER wrote:

Glad they chose Boeing for sure.

N717TW wrote:

nikeherc wrote:

SQ22 wrote:

Please keep politics out of this thread.

Since Trump is in Saudi Arabia and the announcement was made in his presence, and no mention of politics was made and it is not political. If you are asking others not to turn this thread political, that is one thing. If, on the other hand, this is an example of what I and perhaps others regard as a growing stifling of opinion on this particular forum, I would request that the moderators lighten up

I would argue that this announcement and the fact that Mr. Trump was there is connected and whole thing is very political. The White House's press office had communicated that "creating American jobs" was part of the trip, a number of execs (Boeing, GE, etc.) were on AF1 with him, and this exactly the sort of announcement that is designed to create positive headlines back home in the U.S. for the President. While Mr. Trump is a little more open about "wheeling and dealing" than past office holders., the White House and U.S. Presidents are often highly involved in business deals that involve aviation with foreign gov'ts, particularly in the Middle East. Just as Obama, Bush, Clinton, old man Bush and Regan before him, trips to Saudi Arabia usually coincide with some large aviation and/or defense purchase by one of the national firms owned and or controlled by the al-Saud Royal Family.

JoeCanuck wrote:

N717TW wrote:

nikeherc wrote:

Since Trump is in Saudi Arabia and the announcement was made in his presence, and no mention of politics was made and it is not political. If you are asking others not to turn this thread political, that is one thing. If, on the other hand, this is an example of what I and perhaps others regard as a growing stifling of opinion on this particular forum, I would request that the moderators lighten up

I would argue that this announcement and the fact that Mr. Trump was there is connected and whole thing is very political. The White House's press office had communicated that "creating American jobs" was part of the trip, a number of execs (Boeing, GE, etc.) were on AF1 with him, and this exactly the sort of announcement that is designed to create positive headlines back home in the U.S. for the President. While Mr. Trump is a little more open about "wheeling and dealing" than past office holders., the White House and U.S. Presidents are often highly involved in business deals that involve aviation with foreign gov'ts, particularly in the Middle East. Just as Obama, Bush, Clinton, old man Bush and Regan before him, trips to Saudi Arabia usually coincide with some large aviation and/or defense purchase by one of the national firms owned and or controlled by the al-Saud Royal Family.

I agree completely. It's like trying to take the politics out of the Boeing/US government action against BBD or government ownership of airlines. It's certainly airliner related but it is also very political. The two won't always be exclusive and when the heads of the companies in question fly to the sales event with the American president, politics are definitely part of the deal.

In that vein, it is so refreshing to see Boeing going it all alone and not getting any government help with airliner sales.

jbs2886 wrote:

JoeCanuck wrote:

N717TW wrote:

I would argue that this announcement and the fact that Mr. Trump was there is connected and whole thing is very political. The White House's press office had communicated that "creating American jobs" was part of the trip, a number of execs (Boeing, GE, etc.) were on AF1 with him, and this exactly the sort of announcement that is designed to create positive headlines back home in the U.S. for the President. While Mr. Trump is a little more open about "wheeling and dealing" than past office holders., the White House and U.S. Presidents are often highly involved in business deals that involve aviation with foreign gov'ts, particularly in the Middle East. Just as Obama, Bush, Clinton, old man Bush and Regan before him, trips to Saudi Arabia usually coincide with some large aviation and/or defense purchase by one of the national firms owned and or controlled by the al-Saud Royal Family.

I agree completely. It's like trying to take the politics out of the Boeing/US government action against BBD or government ownership of airlines. It's certainly airliner related but it is also very political. The two won't always be exclusive and when the heads of the companies in question fly to the sales event with the American president, politics are definitely part of the deal.

In that vein, it is so refreshing to see Boeing going it all alone and not getting any government help with airliner sales.

I discussed this above. But it was posts like "Trump did what Obama can't"; "Trump is a great negotiator!" etc. that are not appropriate. Of course what you are all saying are appropriate, but that's not really a political discussion, but rather a tangential topic of politics in discussing aircraft orders.

behramjee wrote:

Order is official now http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudigul ... 74883.html but does not specify the type of aircraft selected but contract is signed as per the picture enclosed in the article and other stuff mentioned

TheLion wrote:

Yes thanks for the info and indeed that is a nice rendering.

I would question the need for that many B77Ws as a launch order for an airline without long haul experience in a country that is showing signs of economic decline and fracture.

Unless they're looking to do an ME3, it's hard to see how they'd fill all those aircraft when Saudia already cover most bases with large widebodies.

3rdGen wrote:

Certainly Saudi Gulf has been pressured into doing this by their government. Why in earth would an airline that only opened up 7 months ago and serves 3 cities with four 320s order wide bodies?

Shows you how subservient the Gulf countries are to the US.

The777Man wrote:

TheLion wrote:

Yes thanks for the info and indeed that is a nice rendering.

I would question the need for that many B77Ws as a launch order for an airline without long haul experience in a country that is showing signs of economic decline and fracture.

Unless they're looking to do an ME3, it's hard to see how they'd fill all those aircraft when Saudia already cover most bases with large widebodies.

Perhaps they WILL try to do an ME3 like you said. They are based at DMM and perhaps they think they can get traffic to compete with the ME3 and even get some traffic to BAH which is very close. Perhaps they may even build or get their own terminal to make transfers easier ?

We'll see what happens.

The777Man

boefan wrote:

Here you go . Up to 16 widebody aircraft

Dutchy wrote:

Boeing must have given them a nice deal, 16 end of the line slots. Well done.

KarelXWB wrote:

Word is on the street that SaudiGulf and Boeing signed a MoU for 16 777-300ER aircraft (options included?). Deliveries to begin in late 2018