Boeing 377 in 1950 and the first order for the 707 in 1955, Boeing was shut out of the commercial aircraft market. In the mid-1950s technology had advanced significantly, which gave Boeing the opportunity to develop and manufacture new products. One of the first was the guided short-range missile used to intercept enemy aircraft. By that time the Cold War had become a fact of life, and Boeing used its short-range missile technology to develop and build an intercontinental missile. In 1958, Boeing began delivery of its 707, the United States' first commercial jet airliner, in response to the British De
Kuwait Airways delivery; it was informed late that year that the airline would not take them. Three Boeing 707-320Cs were ordered in . The carrier made its first profit ever in 1968, with a net income of £910,000. During 1972, Kuwait Airways' consecutive profitable year, the airline had a net profit of £2.9 million. By , the fleet had reduced to five Boeing 707-320C aircraft. That year, flights to Colombo were launched. At , Faisal Saud Al-Fulaij, who employed 1,800, was the chairman of the corporation. In a deal worth million, two additional ex-Pan American Boeing 707-320Cs were subsequently purchased that year,