CAIRO, 6 June 2005 — EgyptAir announced that they closed a deal to buy 12 passenger jets from Boeing in order to meet the expected passenger increase in the next few years. Sherif Galal, the chief executive of EgyptAir told reporters that the state-owned carrier would sign a contract for the planes next week. Galal said his company chose Boeing’s offer because it gave EgyptAir “numerous advantages.” The deal states that Boeing will sell 12 new 737-800 planes to EgyptAir for $850 million and that EgyptAir will receive all the new planes by the end of 2007. According to Galal, the 159-seat passenger planes will be used on flights to European and Middle Eastern countries.