Boeing and Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) have announced an order for five more 787-8 Dreamliners and a commitment to purchase two large freighters. The agreement, announced at the 2017 Dubai Air Show, is valued at about $1.9 billion at current list prices.

The freighter commitment will be finalized at a later time.

Azerbaijan Airlines also announced it will be the launch customer for the 787 Landing Gear Exchange Program whereby Boeing Global Services will provide the carrier with a lower-cost solution for overhauled and certified landing gears for its Dreamliner fleet, which now grows to seven airplanes.

Azerbaijan Airlines is a major air carrier and industry leader in the Central Asia region, serving 40 destinations in 25 countries. The airline currently flies two 787 airplanes as well as a fleet of Boeing 757 and 767s.

Boeing’s 787 Landing Gear Overhaul and Exchange Program provides a simple and economical solution for managing landing gear overhauls, while building on Boeing’s successful history of exchange programs. Through the offering, a carrier can exchange landing gears that need to be repaired or overhauled for another set of certified landing gear from a pool that Boeing maintains. This service eliminates the need for operators to contract, schedule and manage the overhaul process.

Boeing Global Services, headquartered in Texas, was formed by integrating the services capabilities of the government, space and commercial sectors into a single, customer-focused business. Operating as a third business unit of Boeing, Global Services provides agile, cost-competitive services to commercial and government customers worldwide.

Copyright Photo: Azerbaijan Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VP-BBR (msn 37920) JFK (Fred Freketic). Image: 934847.