Malaysia-based Air Asia Could Become World’s Fastest Growing Airline
Published: Mar 7, 2012
AirAsia could acquire as many as 200 aircraft from EADS’ Airbus Industrie in a milestone deal that could alter its competitive position against Boeing.
Airbus, which has sold its A320 narrow-body airplanes to airlines around the world for years, is now marketing a new version called the “A320neo,” which is supposed to be 15 percent more fuel efficient than the current A320. The launch date for this newer version A320 is said to be 2015. AirAsia says it’s considering the acquisition of at least 150 of the new aircraft, making it the potential launch customer for a new airplane.
But negotiations could reach 200 planes, industry sources told Aviation Week magazine, exceeding a 180-plane condition order from India's low-fare carrier, IndiGo, as the industry's largest ever based on total number of aircraft. The agreement would be valued at about $14 billion to $18 billion at public list prices. According to value, a deal by Emirates Airlines for Airbus aircraft holds the record, with a $22 billion purchase price announced in 2007.
The A320 family, including the A318, A319, A320 and A321, has received orders totaling more than 7,000, with nearly 5,000 copies delivered.
In related, pre-Paris Air Show news, Air France-KLM will divide a major order for 100 new long-haul widebody aircraft bewteen Airbus and Boeing. The two aircraft in the running are the Airbus A350, the response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which will launch at the end of the year. French parliamentary deputy Bernard Carayon has crafted a petition to get Air France to choose the new A350 over Boeing’s 787.
The combined Air France-KLM now operates 73 Boeing aircraft and 35 Airbus planes. The French government holds a 15.7 percent ownership stake in Air France-KLM.
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by Jim Brown , Reporter for HelloFlight.com
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