Orders and Leases

Airbus

Tunisair and Airbus announced a firm order at the end of April for 12 A320-200s, doubling their fleet of the type to 24, three A330-200s and three A350-800s. Twelve A320s already in service are powered by CFM56 engines. The A350s will replace A300s currently in service.

A320: Silkair of Singapore has selected V2500 engines to power 11 firmly ordered and nine optioned A320 family aircraft scheduled for delivery from next March. Pratt & Whitney, partners in the IAE programme, said that the contract would be worth more than $190m with the options.

A350-800: Aer Europa’s order for ten was formally cancelled by Airbus in April, thereby reducing the number sold to 146. The airline subsequently switched to Dreamliners instead.

Boeing

737-300SF: Ukraine International Airlines leased a jet freighter from US leasing company GECAS in June.

737-700: In the USA, Southwest Airlines ordered 13 more in April taking the number ordered to 419. By the end of that month, 309 had been delivered. Boeing has revealed that US leasing company Aviation Capital Group was the undisclosed customer for 17 737-700s ordered in January; order value is $1bn. ACG previously ordered 30 737-700s and 14 Series 800s and in 2006 the company took over 15 737-800s previously ordered by Delta Airlines, bringing the number acquired to 76.

737-800: The Government of the Republic of Iraq was revealed as the March undisclosed customer for 30 plus ten options. The $2.2bn order will enable scheduled commercial operations to be re-established in Iraq. Oman Air ordered six unspecified 737N-Gs in May. The airline already has one 737-700 and two 737-800s. SAS Sweden ordered a single Series 800 in April bringing its fleet of the type to 24. An undisclosed customer ordered two 737-800s in April, and the sale of another BBJ-2 brought the number sold to 18.

737-900ER: GECAS has leased two to Futura International Airways based in Palma de Mallorca. Nine customers have placed orders for 229 of the largest 220-seat 737 variant, while sales of the BBJ-3 reached eight in April with the sale of two more to the Boeing Business Jet organisation.

747-8: Boeing revealed the sale of a single example to Boeing Business Jet in April, bringing the number on order to 27.

777-200ER: Asiana Airlines of South Korea has ordered two more PW4090-powered aircraft (which can be switched to larger Series 300ERs if required). The contract, valued at $438m, brings the number of Series 200ERs ordered by the airline to ten.

777-300ER: Biman Bangladesh Airlines, which became 100% government-owned in 2005, has finally confirmed an order for four which were the subject of an MoU to buy, signed in March this year. Biman has taken purchase rights on four more 777s. The new aircraft will replace DC-10s and A310s currently in service. 

787-8 Dreamliners: Four have been confirmed by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, plus a further four as purchase rights. Besides the sale of 30 737-800s reported above, the Government of Iraq is negotiating for ten 787s for long-haul services.

Others

BAe Jetstream 41: Brindabella Airlines of Australia, based at Fyshwick, ACT, bought N565HK c/n 41082 in March. The 29-seat turboprop entered service as VH-TAI.

BAe Avro RJ100: PT Riau Airlines of Indonesia has leased two (c/n E3243 and E3265) originally built for THY and stored at Kemble until recently. The lessor is BAE Systems. 

Bombardier RJ900: The Government of Iraq formally signed a combined contract on May 4, covering six NextGen jets ordered on March 13, and four more on April 14, along with options on ten. The first six aircraft are valued at $398m, rising to $812m if all the options are exercised. 

Britten-Norman Trislander: Auckland-based Great Barrier Airlines added a fourth example to its fleet in March. The 16-seater, G-RHOP c/n 1042, was acquired from Blue Islands of Alderney (formerly Rockhopper) which is re-equipping with 19-seat Jetstreams.

EADS/ATR72-500: Franco-Irish leasing company Aircraft International Renting Ltd. has ordered two for delivery this year and in 2009. The 70-seat turboprops, valued at $37m, will be operated by Bangkok Airways of Thailand.

Embraer 190: Virgin Blue Airlines of Australia has ordered four more to take the number bought to 18, and taken options on another three. E-190 sales now total 431. Mandarin Airlines of Taiwan is believed to be an undisclosed customer for two E-190s currently on the production line at Sao Jose dos Campos. Mandarin operate B737-800 and Fokker 100 jets, plus Fokker 50 turboprops.   

Embraer 195: The new Brazilian airline which earlier ordered 36 E-195s and took options on 20 more plus purchase rights on another 20 has been named Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras SA. The 118-seat jets are valued at $1.4bn which will rise to $3bn if all the options and purchase rights are exercised. Embraer has sold 96 E-195s.