KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Boeing and EgyptAir yesterday announced that the airline has converted a previous order for two 777s into an order for an additional eight Next-Generation 737-800s.

The order was added last week to Boeing's Orders & Deliveries Web site attributed to an unidentified customer.

The airline currently has seven 737-800s in operation and it is taking delivery of an additional five 737-800s this year, Boeing said in a statement.

The airline currently has five 777s in its fleet and is scheduled to receive six 777-300ERs beginning next year, it said.

"As a Star Alliance member, operating from a newly opened ultra-modern, international terminal at Cairo International Airport, we are pursuing a fleet plan that allows us to expand our regional markets and offer those passengers extensive international routing options," said EgyptAir Chairman Capt. Tawfik Assy.

"We've found the 737 performs exceptionally well in maintaining our scheduled flights to and from Cairo and that the 777 is unmatched in efficiency on our long-haul flights to our international destinations."

EgyptAir joined the Star Alliance in July 2008.

The carrier has been focused on increasing the utilisation of Cairo International Airport as a key regional hub for both passenger and air freight operations.

"EgyptAir's deployment of the 737 and 777 to meet its fleet growth plans shows how Boeing's product strategy is built upon providing unmatched reliability and efficiency across the product line," said Marty Bentrott, vice- president of Sales for the Middle East, Central and South Asia.

"Our airplanes are engineered to perform numerous types of missions within their size class, and EgyptAir has done a remarkable job utilising these airplanes, while streamlining its operations and bringing passengers notably improved services."

Boeing's 777 is the world's most successful and best-selling twin-engine, long-haul commercial jetliner with 60 customers and orders for 1,116 airplanes through the end of July 2009.

Since the 737 programme's inception, more than 250 customers have taken delivery of more than 6,000 airplanes, making it the most successful commercial airplane programme in history.

The Next-Generation 737, which entered service in 1998, currently has over 5,000 orders from more than 100 customers.

-- BERNAMA