Airbus Dominates Subdued 1st Day at Paris Air Show
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Airbus SE’s defense chief bemoaned fresh infighting with French partner Dassault Aviation SA on their European fighter-jet program as concerns mount over delays, and called for closer collaboration with a UK-led rival.
Airbus sealed a landmark order for 40 A220 jets from Polish national carrier LOT on Monday, marking the airline’s largest-ever investment and signalling a broader reset in political ties between Poland and France.
The new order will expand the fleets of both All Nippon Airways (ANA) and its low-cost subsidiary Peach Aviation. ANA will receive 14 of the A321neo aircraft, while Peach Aviation will take delivery of 10 A321neo and all three A321XLR jets, making Peach the first Japanese airline to operate the XLR variant.
AviLease, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, kicked off the show with an order for 30 A321 narrow-body aircraft, with options for 25 more, as well as 10 A350 freight planes and 12 options. Last month, it announced an order of 30 Boeing 737 Max jets during US President Donald Trump’s tour of the Middle East.
Polish airline LOT is poised to announce on Monday an order for 40 Airbus A220 plus options for a further 44 aircraft, two people familiar with the matter said.
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AviLease, a startup aircraft lessor in Saudi Arabia, is entering the air cargo market with an order for 10 large Airbus A350 cargo jets. Airbus announced the deal at the Paris Air Show on Monday. The deal brings total Airbus orders for the next-generation A350 freighter to 73.
Airbus SE has been sounding out customers appetite for a longer version of its A220-300 jet that would give airlines more seating capacity but at the expense of range.
Saudi leasing company AviLease placed a firm order for 30 Airbus single-aisle jets and 10 A350 freighters in its first direct deal with the European planemaker, as Saudi Arabia's aviation ambitions kicked off the Paris Airshow on Monday.
With a sale of the last two A330-200-derived MRTTs imminent, the airframer plans to wrap up certification of the first complete MRTT+ in the second half of 2028, enabling first deliveries in 2029. No customer has yet signed up for the aircraft, but one A330-800, also known as the A330neo, has been allocated to the MRTT program.
Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines Co. is nearing an order for almost a dozen Airbus SE widebody jets in a deal worth around $4 billion as it seeks to cement its push into long haul services, according to people familiar with the matter.