"Royal Orchids" Adorn First Boeing 777 For Thai Airways

SEATTLE, April 3, 1996 -- A garland of orchids adorned the nose of the first Boeing 777 delivered to Thai Airways International (THAI) today in a ceremony honoring the airline famous for its "royal orchid service."

The colorful delivery ceremony took place at Boeing Commercial Airplane Group's Everett, Wash., site, where all three of the company's wide-body jetliners are manufactured -- the Boeing 747, 767 and 777. Participating in today's ceremony were THAI Capt. Udomchai Nandamanop; Will Chantry, Baker and Chantry Orchids; and Boeing Capt. John Cashman, 777 chief pilot.

"To honor THAI's first 777, Boeing and a Northwest orchid grower will submit two new orchid hybrids to the Royal Horticultural Society of England, the official registrar for orchids," said Larry Dickenson, Boeing vice president of Asia/Pacific Sales. "This unique honor recognizes THAI's many contributions to the Boeing 777 and acknowledges the world- famous service that is the hallmark of Thai Airways International."

The names submitted to the Royal Horticultural Society will be "Miltonia Thai Airways International" and "Paphiopedilum THAI Lamphun" -- Miltonia and Paphiopedilum being the types of orchids. Thailand's reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, named the new airplane Lamphun after the Thai province of the same name.

Following the ceremony, the airplane and THAI crew took off for Bangkok. THAI will be the world's first airline to introduce the Rolls-Royce Trent-powered 777 into service and is the first carrier to operate the 777 in Southeast Asia. THAI's first 777, a -200 model, will enter scheduled service in June on routes from Bangkok to Hong Kong and Seoul.

The Bangkok-based airline has a total of 14 Boeing 777s on order, including eight 777-200s and six stretched 777-300s. The 777-300s are subject to Thai government approval.

A total of 268 Boeing 777 orders have been placed since its launch in 1990 by worldwide customers. Since that time, the all-new Boeing twinjet has won about 80 percent of the market for airplanes in its size category. Over 50 percent of 777 orders are from airlines in the Asia/Pacific region, which Boeing predicts will be the fastest growing air-passenger travel region of the world over the next 20 years.