FARNBOROUGH, England – Airbus was fine-tuning orders for 172 single-aisle jets with two Asian airlines on Tuesday in a bid to seize the initiative at a lacklustre and rain-sodden Farnborough Airshow.
AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes flew into the UK to finalise an order for 100 A321neo aircraft to support the airline’s latest expansion plans, confident of striking a deal at bargain prices as planemakers brace for a slowdown.
One source familiar with the negotiations said the jets could be sold to AirAsia for less than its previous large order for the smaller A320neo model, though Airbus sales chief John Leahy said earlier that A321neo prices were improving.
Some of the new jets will be for the Malaysian-based airline’s leasing business, sources said.
Last-minute dealmaking extended to the engine makers, as CFM and Pratt & Whitney compete for the right to supply engines for the A321neos, with some negotiators huddled over papers in the corner of an airline award ceremony.
Separately, Airbus was still negotiating to sell 72 A320neo aircraft to India’s GoAir, duplicating an earlier order by the airline, and delayed be several hours a press conference that had been expected to announce the deal, show participants said. (Reuters)
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