Airbus may secure $4 billion order from Chinese leasing firm
The order could be announced today when the European planemaker discloses its 2016 commercial results at an annual news conference
Paris/Shanghai: Airbus may secure an order worth $4 billion for some 42 narrow-body jets from Shanghai-based Bank of Communications Financial Leasing, industry sources said on Tuesday.
The order could be announced as early as Wednesday when the European planemaker discloses its 2016 commercial results at an annual news conference.
Airbus has been aiming to book over 200 orders for December to try to maintain a lead in orders over rival Boeing and to keep pace with its own deliveries, set to have risen an estimated 8% to as many as 688 aircraft last year.
Between January and November, the company notched up 410 net orders and 577 deliveries. Its finance chief has predicted more than 670 deliveries in 2016 and at least as many new orders.
In addition to the potential Chinese leasing order, industry sources said Airbus is expected to finalise an order for 72 jets from India’s GoAir and may post an order worth $6.4 billion for over 60 jets from Saudi carrier Flynas. However, the airline’s identity may only be disclosed at a later date.
It is also expected to book at least part of an order for 100 jets from Iran, the first of which is scheduled to leave the planemaker’s Toulouse headquarters on Wednesday for a delivery ceremony in Tehran on Thursday. Boeing said last week it delivered 748 aircraft in 2016 and posted 668 net orders, down 13% from the year before.
Combined orders from the two giants peaked in 2015 after a lengthy upswing driven by emerging markets, but despite slowing demand the industry continues to ramp up production of the most popular models to reap the benefits of record order backlogs. Reuters
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