Oman Air, the flagship carrier of the Gulf Arab state and which is facing another year of losses, is seeking compensation from Boeing for delays in delivering its 787 Dreamliner, its chief executive said.
The Gulf carrier, which said it was expecting its first 787 plane next year, ordered six aircraft through Kuwait-based leasing firm ALAFCO, CEO Peter Hill said in an interview with Reuters.
"These aircraft are not now due for delivery until the beginning of 2015," he said. "Any compensation payable by Boeing for late deliveries would initially go through the leasing company, and then in some shape or form come back to the operating company, which is us. But we will expect significant compensation."
Boeing, the world's second-largest plane maker, is about three years behind schedule in delivering the first 787, largely because of snags in the unusually complex global supply chain.
"I'm sure there are a lot more compensation claims from airlines who are ahead of us in the queue," he said, adding it had no immediate plans to cancel any orders with Boeing. The government-owned Gulf carrier, which has 25 aircraft and flies to 40 destinations, faced protests from around 200 staff in March, who demanded higher salaries.
"Last year losses were about 85 million Omani rials ($221 million), and this year not too different," said Hill. Losses should start diminishing over the next couple of years, he said.
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