Photo during the launching of Kuwait Airways’ new livery on the first of ten new Boeing 777-300ERs

SEATTLE, Oct 23: Kuwait Airways unveiled its new livery on the first of ten new Boeing 777-300ERs that will enter commercial service with the airline over the next 12 months, at an official launch event held at Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Headquarters, in Seattle, USA. The new livery, considered a “once in a generation” revision, follows Kuwait Airways’ recent announcement of its new fiveyear business plan made earlier in September of this year. The new livery and delivery of the Boeing 777-300ERs mark the airline’s first major steps towards achieving the goals it set out in its “Transformation Strategy”.

Officials believe that the acquisition of the Boeing 777-300ERs into the fleet is a game-changer and will play an immediate and significant role in serving its long-haul destinations and foster the opening of new routes.

The branding change, more than just a cosmetic upgrade, hopes to send a clear message to passengers, stakeholders and the communityat- large, of the change that is undergoing across and throughout the whole operation and organization of the airline. For this, the fresh and dynamic look will also be reflected in Kuwait Airways’ comprehensive approach to delivering on all areas of “operational, commercial and service excellence”

Launch“The launch of our new livery is an unreservedly clear statement-ofintent,” said Mrs Rasha Al-Roumi, Chairperson and CEO of Kuwait Airways.“While the outward change to our aircraft will be obvious, we also hope to demonstrate that a much deeper and thorough transformation process is underway; one that will reassert our pioneering legacy in the region’s aviation industry and restore a sense of pride in the national carrier of Kuwait. Ultimately, such changes will be in pursuit of asserting our position as the preferred choice for passengers, linking Kuwait to the world,” Al-Roumi added.

The new logo retains a revision of the iconic blue bird, but is now more prominently displayed on the body of the aircraft from the tail and across the rear end of the plane. Its two-tonal blues symbolize a meeting of the sea and sky, signifying the point at which new horizons will be crossed, juxtaposed with the subtle inclusion of the pearl designs in a nod to Kuwait’s historic maritime and trading roots. “While a new livery change and the delivery of our first Boeing 777-300ER demonstrate a clear and new direction, it should be said that Kuwait Airways consider the human element is the main factor of any success and that dedication and commitment to our passengers remains unchanged.

We will, therefore, deepen our commitment in our areas of strength, act on the areas we can improve on and, going forward, maintain a consistent delivery of service excellence across all areas of the business,” Al-Roumi concluded. Kuwait Airways, the national carrier, was founded in 1953 as a private company with 50% owned by the Kuwaiti government making it the oldest one-state official carrier, in the Arabian Gulf region.

In 1962, the Kuwaiti government became the sole owner of the airline. On 21st October 2013, Kuwait Airways officially became a joint stock company. Kuwait Airways’ current fleet of 22 aircraft includes seven A320- 200CEO, five A330, four A340-300, three A330-200, two Boeing 777-200 and one Boeing 747-400.In 2016, Kuwait Airways announced its fiveyear transformation plan, in order to re-establish the legacy and pride of the national carrier of the State of Kuwait, as the preferred airline linking Kuwait to the world. In 2015, Kuwait Airways announced its decision to upgrade its fleet and ordered ten Boeing 777- 300ER, fifteen A330neo and ten A350.

The addition of the 10 new Boeing 777-300ERs by the fourth quarter of 2017 will see the airline develop into owning one of the youngest commercial fleet, in the region. “We are really proud of the Boeing 777 and all it offers passengers and the operators. But we are even more thrilled when we talk about the role the 777 aircraft pays in our customer success. It is a huge honour for us that the first 777- 300 ER for Kuwait Airways was chosen as the first aircraft to carry the new Kuwait Airways brand. Boeing is honoured to be part of this very significant transformation.

The 777- 300 ER is ideally suited to be the flagship for Kuwait Airways and as the airline expands its fleet and network,” Elizabeth H. Lund Vice President of the 777 Programme stated. She continued, “The 777 has the longest range capability for any commercial airplane and leads the industry in passenger experience. The beautiful 777 with the new and fresh livery is representative of the future of Kuwait airways and the new interior is even more extraordinary than the outside and it will provide a passenger experience like no other in the world.” The Boeing 777 series is the market leader with a staggering 1,587 planes ordered of which more than 163 airplanes currently in backlog. Boeing builds and delivers more than8 777s a month in the largest building in the world by volume.

The 777-300ER is the newest generation 777 of which more than 800 have been ordered since entry into service. The 777-300ER is the largest twin-engine airplane in the world and allows airlines to carry 10 to 45% more passengers than competing airplanes with Class Leading Reliability at 99.5%. The standard configuration of the airplane is 73.9 m in length with a maximum takeoff weight of 351,530 kg and total Cargo Volume of 201.6 m3.

It can cover a range of 13,650 km at a cruise speed of Mach0.84 and carry up to 396 passengers. The First Class Configuration will feature 80 degree pitched, full flatbed seats 26” wide, private suites, Dining Facility, 24” screen, Full aisle access. Meanwhile, the Business Class Configuration will feature 64 degree inclined 22” seats and 16” screen. The Economy Class will include 35 or 32/33 degree pitch seating with 11” screens. Power supply, Wi-Fi and GSM service will be available throughout the aircraft.

By Cinatra Fernandes Arab Times Staff