Boeing wins plane orders from US leasing groups

US aircraft maker Boeing said on Tuesday that it had won a number of orders for its passenger planes from American leasing companies potentially worth a total of about $10.0 billion.

Air Lease Corporation has ordered 26 Boeing jets in a deal valued at $3.9 billion (2.9 billion euros), the companies announced on the second day of the Farnborough airshow near London.

Air Lease is buying six long-haul 777-300ER jets and has confirmed an order for 20 single-aisle 737 MAX 8 planes.

"Additional 777-300ER and 737 MAX airplanes in our portfolio provide the economics and passenger-pleasing experiences our airline customers require," said Air Lease chief executive Steven Udvar-Hazy.

"The 777 has maintained a broad customer base and will continue to do so well into the future. The 737 MAX represents game changing efficiencies and improvements for the environment in the single-aisle market," he added.

Boeing added that US lessor CIT had ordered 10 787-9 Dreamliners, valued at $2.5 billion at current list prices.

"These aircraft will add to our growing fleet of fuel efficient aircraft that remain in high demand from our airline customers, who also seek state-of-the-art aircraft that provide increased comfort and convenience for the travelling public," said Jeff Knittel, president of CIT Transportation & International Finance.

Intrepid Aviation meanwhile ordered six 777-300ERs and has an option to buy four more in a deal totalling about $3.2 billion, Boeing said on Tuesday.

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Leasing company ALC places US$9b order with Airbus

US group Air Leasing Corporation (ALC) has placed a giant order for airliners built by European manufacturer Airbus worth about US$9.0 billion (6.64 billion euros) at catalogue prices, Airbus said on Monday.

The order is for 20 A350-900 aircraft, five A350-1000, and also converts an option for 14 fuel-efficient A321neo aircraft into an order, Airbus said in a statement.

The chief executive of ALC Steven Udvar-Hazy said in a statement that the A350 XWB (Xtra wide body) airliner "is becoming the industry benchmark for efficiency in the long haul segment, and the A320neo family is ideal for airlines operating short to medium-haul missions."

He said: "These aircraft will help airlines grow their businesses while simultaneously reducing their operating costs and emissions."

He added that his company aimed to offer its customers "the most modern, efficient aircraft on the market, and both the A350 XWB and the NEO fit right in that category."

The A350 is due to enter service in the second half of 2014.

The aircraft is intended to compete with the Boeing 777 aircraft made by the US Boeing Corporation and with the Boeing Dreamliner 787.

Airbus hopes that the new aircraft will enable it to end Boeing's dominance of the market for long-range airliners.

The A350 XWB family of aircraft is made mainly of composite materials based on carbon.

It is being offered in three version capable of carrying 270-350 passengers.

The first version to be put into service will be the A350-900 with 314 seats.

It will be followed in 2016 by the A350-800 with 270 seats and in 2017 by the A350-1000 with 350 seats.

Airbus said that ALC had also taken an option on an extra five A350-1000 aircraft.

The Airbus statement said that the A320neo series of aircraft, due to enter in service in 2015, would deliver "up to 15 percent in fuel savings which is equivalent to 1.4 million litres of fuel - the consumption of 1,000 mid-size cars, saving 3,600 tons of CO2 per aircraft per year."

The manufacturer said that the A320 family of aircraft, with more than 9,000 aircraft ordered and more than 5,400 aircraft delivered to more than 380 customers, was the world's "best-selling single-aisle aircraft family".

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Aircraft leasing business, a good way to earn money? Anyway, it's good news for Airbus to receive such a big order for their future planes which are targeting at ending the dominance of Boeing in the long-range market. But a lot remains to be seen for the A350.