Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Boeing, Airbus share record order

American Airlines is ordering 460 new single-aisle planes from U.S.-based Boeing and Europe's Airbus in a deal valued at more than $38 billion. Fort Worth, Texas-based American plans to acquire 260 of the Airbus A320 and 200 Boeing 737s. The deal includes options and purchase rights for 465 additional planes through 2025. Airbus has not sold new planes to American Airlines in more than two decades. The company retired its last Airbus in 2009. At least one newspaper said Airbus could dust off plans to build a plant in Mobile, Ala., but CEO Tom Enders was noncommittal on that prospect. (Sources: Multiple, including New York Times, BloombergNews Tribune, Hartford Courant, 07/20/11)