On May 20, Boeing and Royal Jordanian announced an order for Boeing's highly sought-after 787 Dreamliner, confirming two unidentified customer purchases previously listed on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries Web site.

The announcement was made at the World Economic Forum, an event sanctioned by the Jordanian royal family and held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center on Jordan's Dead Sea. Royal Jordanian is the first Middle East airline to announce an order for Boeing's 787, the fastest-selling new commercial airplane ever built. Royal Jordanian plans to confirm the purchase of its two outstanding options before the end of the year. The airline also intends to take an additional eight Boeing 787s on lease.

Royal Jordanian's President and CEO, Eng. Samer A. Majali, said that the strategic decision to purchase Boeing's revolutionary twin-aisle jet positions the airline to achieve its plans for continued growth and increased profitability.

"Today marks a milestone in Royal Jordanian's proud history," Majali said. "Looking to our plans for future growth, we see the superior economics and unique passenger comfort features of the 787 bringing even greater recognition to Royal Jordanian as we fulfill our commitment to provide world-class service to our passengers."

Royal Jordanian was created in 1963 by a Royal Decree issued by His Majesty the late King Hussein, who was also known to be an excellent pilot. In 2006, Royal Jordanian received Air Transport World's Phoenix award in recognition of the airline having gone through a major transformation of its strategy and operations, resulting in consecutive years of profitable growth. Royal Jordanian also received a merit award from The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) for 2006 Airline Turnaround of the Year.

Beginning April 1, Royal Jordanian became a member of the oneworld airline alliance, offering even more extensive connectivity and flight options for its passengers traveling globally. Royal Jordanian continues to experience successive annual growth, with passenger loads showing a 20 percent increase from 2006.

"Royal Jordanian's distinguished history and recognized success over the last three years is admirable," said Lee Monson, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Sales for the Middle East and Africa. "It's very satisfying for Boeing to see such a well-respected airline choosing the 787 Dreamliner as the core airplane for its international long-haul service."