International Lease Finance Corp. had both good and bad news for Airbus.
The leasing company signed a tentative deal for up to 100 Airbus A320 New Engine Option jets. But it cancelled an order for 10 A380 super jumbo jets, Airbus said on Tuesday.
The memorandum of understanding includes 75 A320 neo and 25 A321 neo aircraft. Along with the new deal, ILFC said it no longer wants an order for 10 A380s.
“With 104 wide bodies on order and fewer than a dozen single aisles it makes perfect sense to rebalance our order book and position ILFC strategically on the fuel-efficient neo ,” said Henri Courpron, ILFC Chief Executive Officer.
Airbus plans to deliver its first A320 neo, which is expected to be 15 percent more fuel-efficient than its existing A320, in 2016.
In a statement, Airbus’s John Leahy expressed confidence in the A380 program.
“The A380 is a long term programme,” he said. “Over the next twenty years we see a market of over 1,300 passenger aircraft in the very large aircraft segment. The A380 continues to win new customers and many are coming back with repeat orders.”
ILFC continued its orders spurt, signing a firm order with Boeing for 33 737-800s. The order is worth $2.6 billion at list prices, though jet makers rarely charge list price.
“Our 737 airplanes are the best sellers in their class,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of sales for Boeing. “This ILFC order is a reflection of our performance improvement initiatives and our goal to offer the best product in every segment we serve.”
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