Dubai-based Emirates became the world’s largest operator of Boeing’s twin-jet 777 airliner with the delivery of its 78th 777 in ceremonies at Boeing’s Everett plant.

Emirates operates the full range of 777 models including the -200, -300, the -200LR (longer range) and the 777 Freighter.

The airline has an additional 28 777s on order valued at more than $7 billion at list prices, said Boeing.

Emirates accepted its first 777 in 1996. The airline’s business plan calls for making Dubai a worldwide hub for flights between Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

If Southwest Airlines is successful in its bid for Denver’s bankrupt Frontier Airlines, the takeover could open up an additional market for Boeing.

Southwest announced today it will enter a bid in bankruptcy court next month to assume control over the Colorado-based low-cost carrier.

Southwest’s biggest rival is expected to be Republic Airlines of Indianapolis.

A successful Southwest bid would substantially bolster Southwest’s presence in Denver. The Dallas-based Southwest shunned Denver for years because of the presence of United Airlines’ big hub operation there and the high costs of operating at Denver’s relatively new airport.

But

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Consider it one of the few benefits of the recession.

Average domestic air fares from Sea-Tac Airport fell by more than 10 percent in the first quarter of this year.

The federal government’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics released those figures this week, ranking Sea-tac 47th among the nation’s top 100 airports in average fares in the first quarter of the year.

Passengers originating at Sea-Tac paid an average of $309.33 for their tickets during January, February and March this year, the BTS figures show.

That’s down from $345.36 for the first quarter of 2008.

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Nippon Yusen K.K., a shipping line the Port of Tacoma was counting on to occupy a new 168-acre terminal on the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula, said this week it will likely post its first loss in 23 years.

The company, known as NYK Line, says diminished demand for imports and exports is likely to push its results into the red by $53 million.

NYK, driven by such economic realities, is now reportedly looking for other, less costly terminal options when it moves its Pacific Northwsst base from Seattle to Tacoma in 2012.

The port is putting its plans to

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In an announcement that is both good news and bad for Boeing Co., Ethiopian Airlines today announced $4.2 billion worth of new aircraft orders from Boeing and its rival Airbus.

The order for 12 Airbus A350-900s is the first time Ethiopian, now all-Boeing, had ordered airliners from the European planemaker. Those aircraft will be delivered beginning n 2017.

But Ethiopian did also order five Boeing 777-200LR airliners, the first of which is to arrive in 2010.

The African carrier also left intact its order for Boeing 787 Dreamliners though Boeing’s delivery date is some two years behind

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The Boeing Co. and and its partner, Calgary’s SkyHook International say they’ve reached a configuration milestone in the design of their SkyHook Heavy Lift Vehicle.

That aircraft, which combines a blimp-like envelope filled with lighter-than-air gas with helicopter-like rotors, is designed to provide heavy-lift capabilities particularly in remote locations.

The two companies say they’ve now reached the point where their layout and performance specifications on the new craft have been frozen.

The aircraft is scheduled to fly in 2014.

The heavy lift vehicle will be able to lift objects as heavy as 80,000 pounds and move

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The seemingly ever-changing Sea-Tac Airport traffic routing has changed yet again.

A new exit from the airport’s garage now involves a hard right turn after leaving the toll plaza to enter the airport freeway.

For airport patrons from Tacoma, this new exit scheme does have one advantage, it allows access to South 170th Street.

That allows airport users from the south to exit onto 170th and then turn south on International Boulevard to gain access to I-5 via South 188th Street or South 200th Street.

The prior routing made it difficult to exit the airport

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Home prices in the Puget Sound area continue to decline, according to a national home price tracking index.

The S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index released Tuesday said prices were down 16.6 percent in May from year-earlier prices and down 0.3 percent from April.

Meanwhile much of the rest of the country showed signs of stabilization. Home prices in May increased for the first time since the summer of 2006, according to the index. Prices rose from April in 13 of the cities that make up the index.

The 20-city home price index rose 0.5 percent

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