ILFC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 100 A320neo-family aircraft, comprising 75 A320neo and 25 A321neo types. ILFC becomes the first customer for the A321neo, the largest member of the A320neo family. In a separate agreement, Pratt & Whitney has been selected by ILFC to power at least 60 A320neo-family aircraft.
“We are delighted to welcome ILFC as the first lessor to order the A320neo,” said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer, customers. “As an evolution of the highly successful A320, offering the latest in fuel saving technologies, the A320neo is a natural choice for ILFC. Indeed the A320 family will continue to be a great asset for both lessors and airlines for the decades to come.”
This story backs the Airline Economics stance in its March issue that the Pratt & Whitney engine is the option to go for now in order to win heavy discounts and better future value based on the facts to hand. ILFC, who else, is at the vanguard of knowing what to order and when.
Of course let’s not get carried away and pat Airbus on the back just yet. This order is not a huge gain for the European manufacturer. In parallel with this order for the A320neo, ILFC will terminate its purchase agreement for ten A380s. “With 104 wide bodies on order and fewer than a dozen single aisles it makes perfect sense to rebalance our order book and position ILFC strategically on the fuel-efficient neo ,” said Henri Courpron, ILFC chief executive officer.
The order for 33 Boeing 737-800s further confirms the type as the gold standard for aviation. In the last 12 months, ILFC has concluded $14 billion of financing, including a $2 billion unsecured revolver from 11 banks, as reported here in January also.
Refer to the original story on January 24 here: https://www.aviationnews-online.com/editorial-comment/ilfc-back-at-the-aircraft-ordering-table/