LE BOURGET, France: Saudi Arabian Airlines has ordered 50 passenger planes from Airbus with a total catalogue value of some $8 billion (Dh29.4 billion), the aviation giant announced Monday at the Paris Air Show.

The order consists of 20 Airbus A330-300 Regionals and 30 A320ceos, Airbus said, adding that the Saudi flagship airline would be the first to fly the Regionals.

The medium-haul plane, which can carry 400 passengers and has a range of 5,000 kilometres (3,000 miles), will allow the airline to increase capacity on its most popular regional routes, Airbus said in a statement.

The plane “is Airbus’s solution for markets with large populations and fast-growing, concentrated air traffic flows,” it said.