Qantas and Airbus have sealed a contract for 110 Airbus A320 aircraft, the largest order in Australian aviation history.
The deal consists of 78 of the A320neo, which will be delivered from 2016 onwards, and 32 A320s, set to arrive from 2013. Both forms of the A320 will be used on short and medium haul domestic and international routes for the carrier's low-cost venture in Japan (see story here), Jetstar Japan, and the new Asian-based premium carrier (see story here).
"The A320 will be the launch aircraft for Qantas' new premium airline based in Asia and will support Jetstar's expansion plans - including the establishment of Jetstar Japan," said Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas.
Though this is the largest order in Australian aviation history, it is still not as large as the purchase made by the Indian low-cost carrier, IndiGo, earlier this year (see story here). The carrier broke world records with an order for 180 aircraft at a time to facilitate network expansion.
For more information, visit www.qantas.com.au or www.airbus.com
Alisha Haridasani
