PARIS --
Qatar Airways extended a much-needed boost to ailing European jet-maker Airbus by signing a contract Wednesday to buy 80 Airbus A350 jets worth $16 billion.
The contract was signed by Qatar Airways President Akbar Al Baker at the French presidential Elysee Palace in the presence of new French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Qatari Sheikh Hamad ben Khalifa al-Thani. The A350 is Airbus' challenger to Boeing's 787 long-range, mid-sized aircraft.
"It's an enormous order," said Airbus Chief Louis Gallois, also present at the signing. "It's one of Airbus' biggest ever orders."
The order, for 20 A350-800s, 40 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, would be worth some $16 billion at list prices, but such large purchases usually receive deep discounts. Gallois said that other orders could be in the pipeline, without giving more details.
He also said Qatar has expressed an interest in investing in EADS, but there have been no specific discussions about the state becoming a shareholder.
The order comes after a report Tuesday in German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that carriers including Qatar Airways - but also Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airline and the International Lease Finance Corp. - were pressing Airbus for changes to the A350's fuselage design. Airbus denied it planned any changes.
"Airbus is offering the A350 and continues to offer it with the composite panels which we believe are the best solution," Airbus spokesman Barbara Kracht said in response to the report Tuesday.
Boeing's 787 is expected to be the first commercial jet to be made mostly of carbon-fiber composites instead of aluminum. Its first test plane is scheduled to be ready in July with the plane entering commercial service next May.
To date, Boeing has racked up 568 orders for the 787, which it says will be 20 percent more fuel-efficient than comparable jets.
News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Aircraft Maintenance Technology" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.
