SINGAPORE AIRLINES LTD. SAID FRIDAY IT WILL
BUY 20 OF EUROPEAN AIRCRAFT MAKER AIRBUS' NEW A350XWB
MID-SIZE PLANES, MAKING IT THE FIRST AIRLINE TO COMMIT TO
THE REVAMPED AIRCRAFT, AP REPORTED.
THE ASIAN CARRIER ALSO SAID IT WILL EXERCISE ITS OPTION TO
PICK UP NINE MORE AIRBUS DOUBLE-DECKER A380S.
THE CONTRACT FOR ALL 29 PLANES IS WORTH AROUND US$7.5
BILLION, THE ASIAN CARRIER SAID.
AIRBUS UNVEILED THE NEW PLANE AT THE FARNBOROUGH
INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW EARLIER THIS WEEK IN RESPONSE TO
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE OLD MODEL.
SINGAPORE AIRLINES ALREADY HAS 10 A380S ON ORDER AND THE
NINE ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT IT PLANS TO BUY ARE PART OF THE
OPTIONS THE CARRIER HAS FOR 15 MORE.
THE DEAL IS A BOOST FOR AIRBUS AND ITS PARENT COMPANY
EUROPEAN AERONAUTIC DEFENCE & SPACE CO. AFTER IT WARNED
LAST MONTH OF DELAYS IN DELIVERIES OF THE SUPERJUMBO
LARGELY DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRICAL WIRING.
THE SHOCK ANNOUNCEMENT LED TO A HIGH-LEVEL MANAGEMENT
SHAKEUP AND A SHARP DROP IN EADS SHARES.
SINGAPORE AIRLINES IS THE LAUNCH CUSTOMER FOR THE A380 AND
IS DUE TO TAKE DELIVERY OF ITS FIRST PLANE LATE THIS YEAR.
UNDER A REVISED DELIVERY SCHEDULE, THE 10 A380S IT
CURRENTLY HAS ON ORDER WILL NOW BE DELIVERED BETWEEN THE
END OF 2006 AND MID-2008.
DELIVERIES FOR THE NINE ADDITIONAL A380S WILL START IN
LATE 2008 AND RUN THROUGH TO 2010.