Aircraft leasing companies snap up A320s
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Airbus has sealed orders for 80 A320 neo aircraft at the Dubai Airshow.
ALAFCO, the Kuwaiti aircraft leasing company, has placed an order for 50 A320 neo aircraft, while US-based Aviation Capital Group (ACG) has placed its first order for 30 of the fuel-efficient jets. Airbus’ A320neo order book could rise even further, with AFALCO’s deal including options for a further 30 jets.
John Leahy, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer for Customers, said the orders were “a clear signal from the market that the A320neo is a great long term investment and will be the backbone of lessors’ portfolios for the years to come”.
Due to enter the market in 2015, the A320neo is a new fuel-efficient version the narrow-body A320 range. It incorporates new engines and large ‘Sharklet’ wing tip devices, which together deliver 15% in fuel savings.
“We may have taken more time that other leasing companies to make the neo selection, but we wanted to test customer reaction, financial community acceptance and the fit within the ACG long term fleet plan – it passed with flying colors on all counts,” said John Feren, ACG’s Executive Vice President of Global Marketing.