Algeria's Tassili Airlines on Tuesday placed its first order for Boeing's four Next-Generation 737-800s at the Dubai airshow.

Tassili Airlines, a 100-percent-owned subsidiary of government-owned Sonatrach Petroleum Corporation of Algeria, was founded in 1997.

Tassili Airlines said it will use the 737-800s to transport employees and cargo between large Algerian cities and Sonatrach work sites. Tassili plans to put its 737s into commercial passenger service on domestic and regional routes in the near future.

'Tassili's selection of the Boeing Next-Generation 737 is a testament to the airplane's versatility, range and other performance factors,' said Marty Bentrott, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Sales for the Middle East, Central and South Asia.

'We offered a comprehensive package to support its unique employee-transport needs, including spares, support equipment, ground-handling equipment, tooling and training,' Bentrott added.

Boeing has more than 2,100 unfilled orders for the Next-Generation 737s and nearly 120 customers around the world have ordered more than 5,000 Next-Generation 737s. Recent performance enhancements to the airframe and engines will reduce fuel consumption by two per cent by 2011.-TradeArabia News Service