Dubai: Kuwait Airways Corp has reached a final agreement to purchase 25 Airbus Group aircraft worth $4.38 billion (Dh16 billion) at list prices, according to the Gulf state’s government news agency.
The airline, which already operates 15 Airbus airliners, signed an initial agreement in December for 10 A350-900 long-haul jets and 15 A320neo aircraft, the new and more fuel-efficient version of the A320 family, according to an Airbus statement at the time.
The announcement late Wednesday confirmed the deal, but included a further agreement to lease 12 other jets, which will be delivered before the summer of 2015, the Kuwait News Agency.
“This is an important moment in the history of Kuwait Airways as it signals the start of a new stage that is meant to take the national carrier back to its flourishing days,” Rasha Al Roumi, Kuwait Airway’s chairman, told the news agency.
The new aircraft will begin delivery in 2019, with both the new and the leased aircraft helping replace some of the airline’s fleet.
An Airbus spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
Earlier this month, Kuwait’s Parliament ordered a probe into the agreement signed in December, but there was no mention of that investigation in Wednesday’s statement.
