Legendary Breitling DC-3 aircraft to visit Middle East during record-breaking world tour

• DC-3 embarks on world tour to celebrate 77th birthday 
• Aircraft will touch down in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai in March 2017 
• 500-piece Navitimer limited edition series will accompany the aircraft on the tour

Dubai, UAE, January 22, 2017:   Swiss luxury watchmaker and aviation chronograph specialist, Breitling has announced that the Breitling DC-3 aeroplane will embark on a record-breaking world tour from March to September 2017. Celebrating its 77th birthday this year, the DC-3 will become the oldest plane to circumnavigate the world and will touch down in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.  

The world tour, which will take in the Middle East, India, South-East Asia, North America and Europe, will begin and end in Breitling’s home country of Switzerland, taking off from Geneva in March and landing back in September at the Breitling Sion Airshow 2017. The DC-3 will stop in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai from mid to the end of March, providing selected VIPs with the opportunity to get up close to this legendary aeroplane.

To celebrate the world tour, Breitling is also introducing a 500-piece limited edition of its famous Navitimer aviation chronograph, of which 25 models will be made available for the Middle East market. This steel Navitimer 01 (46mm), powered by Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01, will be distinguished by its caseback, which will be engraved with the Breitling DC-3 World Tour logo. Enthusiasts will have to wait until the end of 2017 to get their hands on this model – all 500 pieces will travel aboard the Breitling DC-3 around the planet, thus ensuring they are truly part of the entire adventure. Each watch will be delivered with a certificate signed by the flight captain.

Aed Adwan, Breitling Middle East, commented: “As a privileged partner of aviation, Breitling has demonstrated its commitment to safeguarding aeronautical heritage by supporting the restoration of legendary aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3. Through this world tour, Breitling is once again displaying its determination to share its passion for aviation with a broad audience, especially in the Middle East where we have specifically included stop-overs in four different countries.” 

The Douglas DC-3 (DC for Douglas Commercial) twin-engine propeller plane made its maiden flight in 1935, at a time when Breitling had introduced its first on-board chronographs for civilian and military aircraft. Nicknamed the “Normandy landings plane”, the DC-3 seats 20 passengers and has a cruising speed of 241km/h (130 knots). More than 16,000 DC-3 aircraft were built and most major airlines acquired them as part of their fleet. Today there are fewer than 150 DC-3 aircraft in flightworthy condition worldwide, including the Breitling DC-3, which itself flew for the first time in 1940. It now flies under Breitling colours and participates in a variety of air shows around the globe.