Saturday, May 25, 2013

A320s for Air China, AirAsia

Air China and AirAsia are ordering more of the popular A320 jets. Air China ordered 100 Airbus A320s worth $8.8 billion at list price. Sixty of the single-aisle planes will be used by the airline and 40 are for subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines. Airbus broke ground April 8 on a final assembly line for A320s at Mobile, Ala.'s Brookley Aeroplex. (Sources: al.com, Economic Times, 05/24/13) Meanwhile, AirAsia, Asia's largest budget carrier, could buy another 50 planes as it targets expansion in India. Discussion of an order for another 50 A320-family jets, worth $5 billion at list prices, comes weeks ahead of the Paris air show and five months after the Malaysian carrier added 100 jets to its order book to lift total purchases to 475 planes. (Source: Reuters, 05/24/13)