www.yahoonews.com Boeing Co. said it has a preliminary agreement with Libya's Buraq Air to buy as many as six airplanes in a deal that could be worth nearly $370 million.
President Bush signed an executive order lifting economic sanctions against Libya in September 2004, clearing the way for American companies to do business in the country.
Under the agreement, the Tripoli-based airline will buy three 737-800s with the option to buy three more, Chicago-based Boeing said in a statement. The tourist industry will benefit from the additional aircraft as many Libyan tourist operators are trying to develop complete holiday packages to the country.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Boeing's Web site lists prices for the planes at between $61.5 million and $69.5 million — although airlines rarely pay list price and routinely negotiate steep discounts.
Lee Monson, vice president of sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the Middle East and Africa, welcomed Libya's 737 selection. "We wholeheartedly support Libya's resolve to rebuild both its infrastructure and its international standing," Monson said in a statement. |