=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2004/08/25/f= inancial0558EDT0012.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, August 25, 2004 (AP) Singapore Airlines orders 18 Boeing 777 jets, takes option on extra 13 plan= es (08-25) 02:58 PDT SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore Airlines, Asia's most valuable flag-carrier, said Wednesday it had ordered up to 31 long-range Boeing 777-300 jetliners as it expands its fleet. In a statement to the local stock exchange, Singapore Airlines said it h= ad placed firm order for 18 of the planes, which will be delivered between 2006 and 2010. It has options to buy 13 more. At list prices, the total order is worth about US$7.35 billion, if the cost of spares and spare engines is included, the airline said. However, airlines typically negotiate steep discounts. The twin-engined B777-300ER -- which stands for extended range -- can se= at about 350 passengers, and can cover 7,000 nautical miles. Singapore Airlines said it would use them on its long-haul and medium-haul routes. The order would enable the carrier to expand its combined passenger and cargo capacity by between 4 percent and 6 percent a year. General Electric GE90-115B engines will be used on the new planes. SIA Chief Executive Officer Chew Choon Seng said Chicago-based Boeing and its European rival had competed fiercely for the deal. The new Boeings "should integrate well with our existing fleet, which already includes fifty-five aircraft from the B777 family," Chew said in the statement. Singapore Airlines SIA currently operates 89 wide-bodied aircraft, and already has an additional 14 firm orders outstanding, including four for Boeing 777 jets. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2004 AP