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Asian airlines take the lead at Farnborough
2008-07-16
FARNBOROUGH, England (AFP) - Asian airlines took the limelight at the Farnborough air show on Wednesday, awarding the main order of the day worth some 7.2 billion dollars to European manufacturer Airbus. Airbus said Asiana Airlines of South Korea will buy 30 long-haul A350 aircraft and had taken an option to purchase 10 additional A350s, with deliveries of the firm orders scheduled to begin 2016. Asiana Airlines is South Korea's second leading carrier, operating routes to Europe, the United States and Asia. The A350 can carry 270-350 passengers depending on its configuration and is expected to enter service in 2013 in competition with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner which is scheduled to enter operations next year. Meanwhile, US aircraft giant Boeing said it had received an order from Malaysia Airlines for 35 medium-range 737-800s worth more than 2.6 billion dollars. Boeing said that the order was already noted on its website but that the identity of the carrier involved had not previously been revealed. Delivery of the aircraft will start in September 2010, the Malaysian national carrier's chief financial officer Tengku Azmil Zahruddin told a press conference. "This new fleet of next-generation 737-800s will replace our existing 737-400 fleet, allowing Malaysia Airlines to expand ... and will create a strong platform for the airline to profitably grow," he said in a company statement. As well as the firm order, the airline also took options to buy 20 more planes of the same model. The new contract brings the number of Boeing 737s, its mainstay plane, ordered since it was launched to more than 8,000. The single-aisle 737-800 can carry between 162-189 passengers, depending on seat configuration. Boeing also won an order for from US leasing firm Aviation Capital Group (ACG) for 15 737-700 aircraft worth 934 million dollars at catalogue prices. The latest order brings to 96 the aircraft on order from ACG -- 91 737s and five 787 Dreamliner long-haul planes, Boeing said. Earlier in the week, Middle East airlines had dominated proceedings, placing several massive orders with the two rival aircraft makers even as the industry struggles with soaring fuel costs which have forced many airlines to cut services.
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