US Airways Firms 92-Aircraft Airbus Deal

posted: 05 October 2007 11:53 am ET

: Included in US Airways' 92-aircraft Airbus order are 22 A350 XWB widebodies, 18 of which will be A350-800s and four of which will be A350-900s. A computer graphic image of the A350-800 in US Airways' colors is shown here. Credit: Airbus S.A.S. 2006/computer rendering by Fixion - HCSGM
: US Airways didn't include A330-300s in its latest order for 92 Airbus twin-engined aircraft, but the airline already operates the type. US Airways did include 10 A330-200s -- shorter-fuselage, longer-range A330s -- in its order, along with 22 A350 XWB widebody jets and 60 A320-family narrowbody aircraft. Credit: Airbus S.A.S.

US Airways has converted the commitment it announced at the Paris Air Show in June for 92 new Airbus jets into a firm order.

The deal adds firm orders for 22 A350 XWBs -- Airbus' response to the Boeing 787 -- to the European manufacturer's firm orderbook for the type, which stood at 154 aircraft before today. Airbus also held memorandum-of-understanding commitments for 110 more A350 XWBs, which included the 22 aircraft that US Airways now has firmed up.

US Airways has specified 18 A350-800s and four larger A350-900s. The airline is slated to receive its first A350 in 2014, with deliveries running through 2017.

In addition, US Airways has ordered 10 A330-200 widebody aircraft and 60 narrowbody A320-family aircraft. Its A320-family order is comprised of 10 A321s, 40 A320s and 10 A319s, though US Airways has extensive rights to change the mix of aircraft within the 60-aircraft order.

The US Airways order represents a purchase of almost every model in Airbus' twin-engined commercial-aircraft line. The only models it didn’t specify in the order are the A318, the A330-300 -- which US Airways already operates -- and the A350-1000, the proposed largest member of the A350 XWB family.

Delivery dates for US Airways' A330-200s run from 2009 through 2010. The airline has an existing backlog of 37 orders for Airbus single-aisle aircraft; together with its new, 60-aircraft, A320-family order, deliveries of Airbus narrowbodies to US Airways will now extend through until 2012.

“Both the A320 family and A330 have served us very well, and we look forward to capitalizing on the advantages the A350 XWB will add to our fleet,” said Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of US Airways.

Both America West and US Airways -- the constituents of today's US Airways -- took delivery of their first A320-family aircraft in 1998. Since that time and since the airlines joined forces under the US Airways brand, US Airways has become the largest airline customer for Airbus in terms of aircraft ordered and aircraft operated, Airbus said.

Airbus spent $10.2 billion with suppliers in more than 40 U.S. states in 2006, supporting more than 190,000 American jobs, the company said.