London, Dubai: Airbus Group SE won an order for 35 A320-series jets from US leasing firm Aviation Capital Group, marking its first sale of 2017. The European company is also close to securing a major narrow-body deal from Saudi Arabian carrier flynas, according to people familiar with the plan.
The contract with Aviation Capital, a unit of Pacific Life Insurance Co., is for 30 A320neo planes, the re-engined version of Airbus’s single-aisle workhorse, together with two original A320 variants and three larger A321s. That values the deal at $3.8 billion, based on list prices.
Aviation Capital also has an option to take 10 further A320neos, including which it has now ordered 158 A320-family jets, 66 of which have yet to be delivered, the Newport Beach, California-based company said in a statement on Tuesday.
An A320 order from flynas is meanwhile imminent, according to the person with knowledge of the requirement, who asked not to be named because no announcement has yet been made. Flynas said in November that it was considering a deal for 60 planes plus 40 options, and weighing the Airbus model against the Boeing Co.’s rival 737, though the number of firm orders remains under discussion and could be increased, the person said.
Toulouse, France-based Airbus declined to comment on the Flynas situation.
