Second Day of Paris Shows Sees Orders for 43 A330s

Airbus scored three solid deals on the second day at the Paris Air Show, all of them featuring its A330 widebody twin.

The three orders added 43 aircraft to the Airbus A330 orderbook.

In the biggest deal, Intrepid Aviation Group converted the letter of intent it signed in the fourth quarter of 2006 for 20 A330-200Fs into a firm order. The A330-200F is the newest freighter model offered by Airbus and leasing company Intrepid Aviation's order is the largest so far received for the aircraft.

Deliveries of Intrepid's A330-200Fs will start in 2010 and will run through 2012. The company will lease the 20 aircraft to cargo customers worldwide. Though Intrepid has broad experience in trading and leasing freighter aircraft, including A300 and A310 freighters, this is the first time it has purchased new Airbus aircraft.

Depending on the version selected, the A330-200F can carry up to 64 metric tons over a distance of more than 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 kilometers) or a load of 69 metric tons up to 3,200 nautical miles (5,930 kilometers).

Airbus claims the A330-200F's optimized fuselage cross-section gives it 30 percent more cargo volume than any freighter in its class. The new freighter is a derivative of the A330/340 family, which has achieved an orderbook of more than 1,100 aircraft.

In a second A330 deal today, Fly Asian Express (FAX) signed a firm order for 15 A330-300s, increasing by five aircraft the initial commitment the carrier secured in April. FAX will receive its first new A330 during the third quarter of 2008. It is the operating company for AirAsiaX, the world's newest long haul, low cost airline.

"The firming up of the additional orders reaffirms our ambition to be the world's most profitable point-to-point long haul low cost carrier," said Datuk Tony Fernandes, a director of Fly Asian Express and the CEO of Air Asia. "The South East Asian market is constantly looking for cheaper alternatives for air travel. With this optimism in mind we will continue to look into increasing our fleet via leases or acquisition to support our growth."

Another Asian customer, Thai Airways International, placed a firm order for eight additional A330-300s. Thai International's new A330-300s will provide extra capacity on its extensive Asian regional network from 2008.

The airline currently operates a fleet of 12 A330-300s and 21 A300-600s on its regional network across Asia, as well as four A340-500s and five A340-600s on its long haul network from Bangkok to destinations in Australia, Europe and North America.

Thai Airways International has operated non-stop "New York Express" and "LA Express" services from Bangkok using A340-500 since 2005. It is also a customer for the A380, with the first of six ordered aircraft scheduled for delivery in late 2010.

The A330-300 has a range of up to 5,650nm (10,500 kilometers) and has flown over five million operational hours. It typically accommodates 335 passengers in two classes for regional operations or 295 travelers in three classes on long-haul routes.

Since first delivery in 1993, the A330 family has accumulated some 9 million-flight hours with 65 operators. Total A330 orders exceed 700 aircraft from more than 60 customers and more than 450 are in service worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific region, a customer base of 19 airlines operates more than 180 A330s.

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