Orders for New Aircraft Confirm Continued Industry Growth

On behalf its its subsidiary, Air Nelson, Air New Zealand has firmed up orders for three new Bombardier Q300 aircraft.  This is part of an order for 17 Q300s, plus options on 10 Q300s and 13 Q400s by the airline. The value of this latest transaction is approximately USD48 million.

Air One has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320 from an order for 30 aircraft.  Air One serves 23 domestic and six international destinations.

On behalf of Air One, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft has leased three new Avro RJ70s to use on news routes from London City Airport to Milan Linate. 

Singapore-based Tiger Airways has ordered eight more Airbus A320s. The airline currently operates a fleet of seven A320s, with this latest order bringing its backlog of deliveries to 13 aircraft. These new aircraft will be used in the airline's regional network of 15 cities in seven countries.

Pakistani low-fare airline Airblue has ordered two Airbus A320s and is currently negotiating for four additional. Airblue operates six A320 aircraft presently.

Gol increased their order from 67 to 87 Boeing 737-800s, as part of its ongoing expansion program.

Virgin Blue Airlines has ordered 14 Embraer E-jets for its Australian domestic market and regional markets throughout the South Pacific island region. This includes 11 Embraer 190s plus three Embraer 170s.

Kingfisher Airlines of India have reached an agreement for two new Airbus A321s.  This complements Kingfisher's fleet of 10 A320s and three A319s.

New US low-fare airline, Skybus, based in Columbus, Ohio, has signed a firm contract to purchase 65 Airbus A319s.

Easyjet has also signed a firm contract with Airbus for an additional 52 A319s, taking the airline's total orders for the type to 192. This latest order makes Easyjet one of Airbus' biggest customers worldwide. Additionally, the airline has also taken options on another 75 A319s. Andrew Harrison, Easyjet Chief Executive said, "We are committed to operating only the newest and most fuel-efficient aircraft available. The average age of our existing 122 aircraft is only 2.2 years, and we believe that this and the fundamental benefits of our business model make us one of the world's most environmentally efficient airlines."   

AirAsia, Malaysia's low-cost carrier, has doubled an existing order for 100 Airbus jetliners to fulfill its plans for growth in Southeast Aisa. The order for an additional 100 single-aisle A320's, valued at nearly USD7 billion, underscores the appeal of this model for short-haul routes. AirAsia currently has a fleet of 50 jetliners.