Gulf Air confirms order for 8 Boeing 787s

Middle Eastern carrier Gulf Air has confirmed an order for eight Boeing 787 aircraft.

The airline signed a letter of intent in early September to expand its confirmed 787 orders from 16 to a total of 24.

Boeing announced the new sales on its "orders and deliveries" web site on 16 April.

The new deal raises Boeing's net orders into the positive range for all aircraft types so far this year. The airframer now has 4 net orders to date, including 24 737s and 4 777s. But Boeing's customers have cancelled orders for a total of 32 787s in 2009.