A Singapore-based aircraft leasing company said Monday it has ordered 20 single-aisle planes from Airbus and will exercise an option to buy another 20 jets from Boeing to meet demand for such medium-sized aircraft.
The Bank of China-owned Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise, or SALE, ordered 20 A320 aircraft from Airbus.
It also said it exercised 20 existing options and purchase rights with Boeing Co. for the Next-Generation 737 series, also a single-aisle aircraft, the lessor said in a statement.
All 40 aircraft, which have a list price of $2.8 billion, will be delivered between 2009 and 2012, the statement said.
SALE Chief Executive Officer Robert Martin said demand for single-aisle jets exceeded supply, and that both the Boeing and Airbus models "will remain the workhorses of short haul fleets well into the next decade."
This is the first aircraft order SALE has placed since the company was acquired by Bank of China in December 2006, it said.
The company said it will also evaluate future aircraft acquisitions, including wide-body models. SALE now has 67 aircraft on firm order for future delivery, comprising 47 Boeing Next-Generation 737s and 20 A320s from Airbus, the statement said.
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