Orders & deliveries

Airbus began 2012 on a high note with new bookings for 91 jetliners – including two significant A320 Family contracts and a repeat order for A330-200F freighters, while delivering a total of 37 aircraft during the month.

Leading the commercial activity was AviancaTaca’s purchase agreement for 33 single-aisle A320neo (new engine option) aircraft and 18 A320 Family jetliners in the current engine option configuration.  This order is the largest from a single customer in the Latin America region in terms of total aircraft, and follows AviancaTaca’s memorandum of understanding announced during the 2011 Paris Air Show.

In another important transaction, Spirit Airlines finalised its order for 30 A320s in the current engine option version, which joins the 45 A320neo aircraft booked in December. 

The remaining single-aisle orders in January were for the A320 Family in its current engine options, with bookings from Tibet Airlines (three A319s), BOC Aviation (two A320s) and Air Namibia – a new direct customer – with two A319s.

Included in the month’s new widebody aircraft business was Etihad Airways’ repeat order for two A330-200F freighters, underscoring the value of this new-generation, mid-size cargo aircraft.  Etihad Airways was an A330-200F launch customer and operator, and the additional aircraft will increase the fleet of its cargo operator, Etihad Crystal Cargo, to four of these freighters.

Completing the January bookings was Air Lease Corporation’s contract for an A330-300.

Among the month’s new aircraft deliveries was the first A320 for Hong Kong Airlines, which also received its latest long-range A330-200 featuring a new all-premium class layout. 

Other A320 Family aircraft were provided in the A319, A320 and A321 versions during January to Air China, AirAsia, Aviation Capital Group (for Virgin America), AWAS (for Virgin America), BOC Aviation (for South African Airways), British Airways, Cebu Air, China Eastern Airlines, GECAS (for Airphil Express, GoAir and Philippine Airlines), Germanwings, IndiGo, Juneyao Airlines, Lan Airlines, Lufthansa, Middle East Airlines, Qatar Airways, Shenzhen Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Spring Airlines and Tiger Airways.

In addition to the A330-200 delivery for Hong Kong Airlines, additional aircraft of this type were received in January by Avianca, Air China, China Eastern Airlines and Air Lease Corporation (for Alitalia), along with an A330-200F for Malaysia Airlines.  A330-300s were provided during the month to Guggenheim Aviation Partners (for China Airlines), Malaysia Airlines and Swiss International Airlines.

Airbus also delivered an A380 to Singapore Airlines, bringing this carrier’s fleet of 21st century flagship jetliners to 15.