Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its 100th aircraft in Seattle.

The airline’s newest long-range commercial jet is a 259-seater Boeing 777 wide-body aircraft. The jet flew from Boeing’s production plant on the west coast of the US to Doha.

Qatar Airways now operates 27 Boeing 777 wide-body aircraft along with Airbus A320, A330 and A340 planes.

“The industry has watched us closely as we rapidly developed a truly global network of flights to reach all corners of the world,” says Akbar al-Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways.

In April, the airline launched its 100th route, to Aleppo in Syria.

Al-Baker says that the Boeing 777 allows the airline to enter long-haul markets, with a flying time of up to 16 hours. These destinations include Sao Paolo, Melbourne, Houston and Montreal.

In February, Al-Baker said that Qatar Airways planned to launch its initial public offering (IPO) by 2013 (MEED 14:2:11). The carrier has now been in profit for two consecutive years.