Lufthansa firms up order for 100 A320 Family aircraft

The Lufthansa Group has firmed up a previous Supervisory Board decision from March this year and signed for 100 A320 Family aircraft (35 A320neo, 35 A321neo and 30 A320ceo with Sharklets) at the Paris International Airshow in Le Bourget, France.

The Lufthansa Group has been operating the A320 Family since October 1989. They were the launching customer for the A321 and belonged to the first operators of the A319 and A320. The new order confirms Lufthansa’s leading position as the largest Airbus airline customer and operator in Europe, increasing its order for the A320 type to 299. Over 150 of these aircraft have already been delivered.

“These modern and fuel-efficient aircraft will meet the future growth and fleet renewal needs of the Lufthansa Group airlines. By purchasing these aircraft, we will be able in the long term to offer customers a comfortable and modern product in the highly competitive environment. In addition, these aircraft are contributing significantly to reduce noise and emissions wherever we fly our aircraft to”, said Nico Buchholz, Executive Vice President, Lufthansa Group Fleet Management.

“Lufthansa is a loyal customer, and has been operating our aircraft for almost 40 years. We are extremely pleased to receive this repeat order and thank our prestigious customer for their continuing strong commitment to our eco-efficient products. The A320 Family represents the highest level of operational performance while also offering Lufthansa passengers superior level of comfort and services,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.

The A320neo Family has captured some 60 percent of the single aisle market in just over two years since it was launched, clearly demonstrating its market leadership. Incorporating new engines and Sharklets these new aircraft are set to deliver fuel savings of 15 percent. In addition, the A320neo Family will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise. The A320neo will enter into service from late 2015, followed by the A319neo and A321neo in 2016. The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling and most modern single aisle aircraft family. To date, nearly 9,500 aircraft have been ordered and close to 5,600 delivered to more than 380 customers and operators worldwide.

DORIC Lease Corp signs landmark agreement for 20 A380s

Doric Lease Corp has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase of 20 A380s at the 50th Le Bourget Airshow. The agreement was signed today by Mark Lapidus, CEO of Doric Lease Corp and John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.

With this investment, Doric will offer a tailored A380 leasing solution and will make the aircraft even more accessible to both new and existing A380 operators around the world who prefer to opt for the flexibility of an operating lease. Doric already has significant experience with the A380, ranking as the third largest wide-body lessor worldwide by value, and the world’s largest asset manager of leased A380s. Doric has a six billion US$ aircraft portfolio under management, including 18 A380s acquired through sale-leaseback arrangements.

“The A380 offers us a unique opportunity to continue growing Doric’s aviation platform by establishing ourselves as a lessor with a forward-order portfolio of 20 A380s to market with existing and new customers worldwide,” said Mark Lapidus, CEO of Doric Lease Corp. “We will be able to provide turn-key A380 ownership solutions to airlines, allowing them to benefit from operating this fantastic aircraft. The A380 offers airlines a great opportunity to provide a superior product and travel experience while strengthening revenue generation. We are delighted to be part of the long term success of the A380.”

“The A380 is moving into a new chapter, with more and more airlines around the world enjoying the benefits of its unrivalled passenger appeal and powerful revenue and growth generating capability. Airlines are waking up to the fact that if they want to stay ahead of the game, the only way is with the A380 in their fleets,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “We are delighted that with Doric, airlines around the world will now have more flexibility in bringing the A380 into their operations while being equipped to capture the growth opportunities we are seeing as the global economy recovers.”

Since first entering service in 2007, the A380 has joined the fleets of nine world class carriers. The aircraft is capable of flying 8,500 nautical miles or 15,700 kilometres non-stop, carrying more people at lower cost and with less impact on the environment. The spacious, quiet cabin and smooth ride have made the A380 a firm favourite with both airlines and passengers, resulting in higher load factors wherever it flies.

The total A380 fleet has accumulated over 920,000 flight hours in close to 110,000 commercial flights. To date 40 million passengers have already enjoyed the unique experience of flying on board an A380. Every six minutes, an A380 either takes off or lands at one of the 30 airports where it operates today and the network is constantly growing.

ILFC orders 50 more A320neo Family aircraft

Industry leading aircraft lessor, ILFC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc., has signed a firm contract for the purchase of 50 additional A320neo Family aircraft. The contract was announced today at the Paris Air Show by ILFC Chief Executive Officer, Henri Courpron and John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.

ILFC was the first lessor to commit to the A320neo Family with a firm order placed in 2011 for 100 aircraft.  With this latest order, ILFC increases its total firm NEO order tally to 150. ILFC will make its engine selection for the aircraft at a later date. Including this latest contract, ILFC remains Airbus’ largest customer, having ordered a combined total of 769 single-aisle and widebody Airbus aircraft.

“The A320neo is firmly established as a long-term cornerstone of ILFC’s portfolio of modern, fuel efficient aircraft. The NEO allows ILFC to offer its customers a single-aisle aircraft family that delivers a significant reduction in fuel consumption and the widest, most comfortable cabin in its class,” ILFC Chief Executive Officer Henri Courpron said. “We have already seen significant market interest in the NEO and that is why we have come back for more. We must be ready to deliver the product that airlines want and that will enable them to take advantage of the significant growth air transport will see over the coming years.”

“We are delighted to see our valued and long-standing customer ILFC coming back for more A320neo aircraft. This is clear signal of the continuing strong demand for Airbus’ most modern, fuel efficient aircraft which day in, day out, deliver profitability to their owners and a great travel experience to the passengers,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “With a portfolio of 150 A320neo’s at ILFC, we can take that as a strong confirmation of the NEO’s market leading position.”

The A320neo is offered as an option for the A320 Family and incorporates new more efficient engines and large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, which together will deliver up to 15 percent in fuel savings. At the end of May 2013, firm orders for the NEO stood at 2125 from 40 customers, making it the fastest selling commercial airliner ever and underlining its market leadership position with close to 60 per cent market share.

easyJet sets sights on Airbus A320neo for future fleet development

After a thorough technical evaluation, easyJet has earmarked the Airbus A320neo for its future fleet requirements.

Based on the company’s growth forecasts, the A320 was selected for offering the best productivity, lowest operating cost and best fuel efficiency of any single aisle aircraft in the 180 seat sector. Currently easyJet operates a fleet largely based on the smaller A319 seating 156 passengers.

Subject to shareholder approval, easyJet has identified a future need for 100 A320neo aircraft. These will be preceded by 35 A320ceo aircraft equipped with Sharklets.  Of the 135 aircraft, 85 will be for replacement.

“The NEO is without doubt the most productive and fuel efficient aircraft around. It has the widest and tallest cabin of any single aisle aircraft for faster turnaround operations and better passenger comfort. We are delighted our reliable aircraft have met easyJet’s demanding criteria,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer-Customers.

This order will sustain nearly 2,500 jobs as well as some 7,500 in the extended supply chain in the UK.

easyJet operates one of Europe’s most extensive route networks, and is the UK’s largest airline carrying 55 million passenger a year. easyJet is also the largest A320 Family customer and operator in Europe.

The A320 Family is the world’s most successful with over 9,500 ordered and over 5,600 delivered to over 380 customers and operators.