Airbus orders rebound
Global - Airbus confirmed 118 new orders last week, reversing the trend of order cancellations and postponements in the first seven months of this year.
According to Channel News Asia (CNA), the airplane manufacturer has set a target of 300 new orders for 2009. The figure includes 50 short-haul A320s that Hungarian low-fare carrier, Wizz Air, has ordered from the company.
Since the beginning of this year, 288 Airbus aircraft has been delivered, including 235 short-haul A320s and four long-haul A380s, while 22 orders were cancelled, reported CNA.
Meanwhile, AirAsia said it will defer the delivery of eight Airbus A320 by four years to 2014, due to "infrastructural constraints" at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur airport.
"AirAsia foresees infrastructural constraints with the current airport facilities until the new LCCT (low cost carrier terminal) is constructed," the airline said in a statement last Thursday.
The deferment is expected to help the airline avoid cost associated with idling aircrafts, such as incurring depreciation and interest expense without earning revenue, AirAsia said.
The airline also said Airbus agreed to the revised delivery schedule without imposing any additional penalties.
"With the above deferment, the original delivery of 24 aircraft in 2010 shall be reduced to 16 aircraft," said the airline. AirAsia could further exercise the right to postpone delivery of another eight aircraft in 2011 to 2014, if it informs Airbus before the end of October.
AirAsia currently has a firm order of 175 Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery between 2005 and October 2014.
The catalogue price the A320 is approximately US$77 million dollars (53.6 million euros).
________________________________________________________
Managing people? For HR and leadership strategy, Human Resources has it covered.
Get your marketing department up to speed with Asia's most read marketing site
marketing-interactive.com