Hawaiian dumps Boeing for Airbus long-haul

photo by Ack Ook

Hawaiian Airlines announced yesterday that it was replacing its 18-strong fleet of Boeing 767-300s with 24 new long-range airplanes from Airbus. The order, which is for six A330-200s and six A350 XWB-800s (plus six options on each kind), is worth approximately $4.4 billion at list prices and will "enable [the airline] to open new routes to more distant markets on a nonstop basis from Hawaii," said a company press release. The first A350s will be delievered in 2017 (that's a ten year wait!), but Hawaiian will only have to wait five years for the first A330.

Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian CEO and president, said that "we are building flexibility into the plan with some aircraft purchased, some to be leased and having options for others, which will allow us to scale the fleet according to our needs and opportunities over the next two decades". He also said that agreements with Airbus allow the company to lease additional A330s starting in 2009, which will allow Hawaiian to expand and to replace the Boeing 767s with leases that are due to expire in the next few years.

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Intrepid Aviation and Thai order A330; Leahy: "Airbus is back"

Aircraft lessor Intrepid Aviation announced a firm order of 20 Airbus A330-200 freighter airplanes, the largest order received for the aircraft so far. Deliveries will start in 2010 and run through 2012.

Thai Airways International also announced that they would be purchasing A330s (though none of the freighter variety). It has ordered eight more A330-300s, adding to its fleet of twelve A330s that it currently uses on routes across Asia. The airline also reconfirmed its order for the A380, the first of which will be delivered to the airline in late 2010.

Airbus also held a press conference at Le Bourget earlier today, in which COO John Leahy announced that "Airbus is back". With all the orders that the airline has announced in the last few days, Leahy is probably right.

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Fly Asian Xpress orders A330

Malaysian carrier Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) has ordered fifteen A330-300s at the Paris Air Show today, up from its previous commitment of ten. The airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for ten A330s back in April. FAX is a privately owned airline that is subcontracted by AirAsia to fly domestic routes in Malaysia. The A330s won't go into service for FAX directly, but instead fly for Air Asia X, which FAX owns and which will operate long-haul budget flights under the brand name of AirAsia.

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Paris Air Show: Day 1

The 47th Annual Paris Air Show opened earlier today in Le Bourget, France. The Air Show is a place where many airlines announce orders for airplanes from the major manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, and this year, the main focus is on two airplanes in particular: the 787 and the A350. Here are the highlights of the first day's events. This post will also be updated throughout the day - check back later! (Pictures are courtesy of Boeing and Airbus.)

GECAS orders Boeing 777 freighters
GECAS (GE Commercial Finance) announced an order for six Boeing 777 Freighters, although GECAS could substitute some of them for passenger models in the future, if desired. The order is valued at $1.42 billion at list prices (keep in mind that for the majority of these large orders, there's usually a discount).

Lion Air orders Boeing 737-900ER
Indonesian carrier Lion Air announced an order for 40 more Boeing 737-900ER airplanes, an order valued at over $3 billion in list prices. Lion Air now has 100 total orders for the 737-900ER.

Akbar Al-Baker, CEO Qatar Airways, and Louis Gallois, CEO Airbus

Qatar Airways orders 80 A350s, 3 more A380s
Qatar has ordered 80 A350 'XWB' planes and an addition three A380s, meaning that they now have five A380s on order. The A350 order is broken up into 20 of the -800, 40 of the -900, and 20 of the -1000 varieties. Deliveries, according to Airbus, will begin in 2013. This order was a key one for Airbus, whose A350 has been slipping behind the Boeing 787 in terms of orders.

Chairman of Emirates Group Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Gallois

Emirates orders 8 more A380s
Dubai-based Emirates has agreed to buy eight more A380s. A launch customer for the type, Emirates has the largest number of A380s on order, with 55. “It gives us a great sense of pride that Emirates Airline are showing such faith in our A380 product and in Airbus," said Airbus chief Louis Gallois. "We thank Emirates Airlines for this."

Jazeera Airways orders 30 A320s
Kuwait-based Jazeera has ordered 30 Airbus A320 aircraft, bringing the number of A320s it has on order up to 40.

US Airways increased A350 order, announces 'fleet renewal'
US Airways has announced that it will buy 92 Airbus aircraft for its fleet renewal in the future. The order is comprised of 22 A350-800s, 10 A330-200s, and 60 A320 family airplanes (a mixture of A319s, A320s and A321s). This is a sign that US Airways is committed to operating a predominantly Airbus fleet - it already operates 205 Airbus aircraft.

Nouvelair orders 2 A320s
Tunisian charter carrier Nouvelair has ordered 2 A320s, complementing the fleet of thirteen A320 airplanes (A320s and A321s) that it already has.

GECAS orders 60 A320 family airplanes
GECAS, which earlier announced an order for the 777F, has also signed a deal with Airbus for 60 more A320 family airplanes, which include the A318, A319, A320 and A321.

ALAFCO chair Ahmed Al Zabin with Airbus COO John Leahy

ALAFCO orders A350, A320
Kuwait-based ALAFCO (Aviation Lease And Finance Co.) has signed a firm contract for 12 A350s and has also ordered seven A320s.

S7 CEO Vladislav Filev with Airbus COO Leahy

S7 orders 25 A320 family planes
Russian carrier S7 has ordered 25 A320-family airplanes, adding to its leased fleet of A319s. Deliveries start in 2009, and the order is worth $1.8 billion at list prices (even though Airbus sales chief John Leahy said the actual price was "somewhat" less than list). Interestingly, S7 also recently ordered new Boeing 737s.

Air France signs MOU for A380, A320
Airbus announced that Air France would sign a 'memorandum of understanding' to buy two A380s and 18 A320s, although it should be noted that this is not yet an official order.

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