Qatar Airways has achieved yet another milestone in its short history by taking delivery of its first Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft.

The aircraft – Qatar Airways’ sixth Boeing 777 – made its maiden journey from Boeing’s manufacturing base in Seattle in just under 15 hours for the non-stop flight to Doha International Airport.

The latest delivery takes Qatar Airways’ fleet size to 66 aircraft, a remarkable number in only the airline’s 12th year of operation.

On arrival, the Boeing 777-200LR and its international crew and technical staff onboard were welcomed by scores of cheering employees from Qatar Airways and its subsidiaries. The flight was manned by four pilots, two cabin crew and an engineer – all from different parts of the world.

The Boeing 777-200LR has a range of up to 17 hours and is capable of flying to virtually any key business or leisure destination worldwide from Qatar Airways’ Doha hub non-stop.

The Doha – Houston route, linking the energy capitals of the world, will be Qatar Airways’ first long-haul service to be operated with the Boeing 777-200LR aircraft with its launch scheduled for March 30.

The Houston route will also be one of the world’s longest non-stop flights. Until the Houston launch, the aircraft will be deployed on routes in the Middle East and South Asia to allow crew to get more accustomed to the aircraft.

In November 2007, Qatar Airways placed orders for 32 Boeing 777 passenger and cargo aircraft, comprising 14 of the 777-300ER variant, six 777-200LRs and seven 777-200 Freighters. There are options for a further five Boeing 777s.

With six Boeing 777s currently flying in Qatar Airways’ colours, the remaining 26 will be delivered within two years and the aircraft will form the backbone of the airline’s long-haul fleet of the future.

The two Boeing 777 passenger variants will facilitate a major expansion in the airline’s long haul network.