China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC) has committed to a new order of Airbus A320 Family aircraft at the Farnborough Air Show.
CALC signed a memorandum of understanding for 36 current generation A320s in a deal which also includes eight A321s.
The fast growing Hong Kong based aircraft leasing company will also be able to select Airbus’ new fuel saving Sharklets.
Dr. Mike Poon, CEO of CALC said: “This is an important milestone for CALC. We have a long-term commitment to the aviation industry and are very pleased to establish a relationship with Airbus. This sizeable aircraft order will lay the foundation for CALC to achieve our ambition to become a major aircraft lessor in the region.”
Fabrice Bregier, Airbus president and CEO added: “We are delighted to welcome CALC as our newest Airbus and A320 Family customer. We’re equally happy that they have chosen the industry’s favourite single-aisle aircraft to position themselves at the forefront of the fast growing Chinese market. It’s no secret that if the A320 family is the cornerstone of airline fleets around the world, it’s because they get an unbeatable return on their investment thanks to the A320 Family’s outstanding reliability and low operating costs.”
CALC currently owns a portfolio of 11 Airbus aircraft including five A320s, five A321s and one A330.
It also has three A330s and five A320s aircraft in its delivery pipeline.
This new commitment will grow CALC’s Airbus fleet to over 50 aircraft.
The new large wingtip Sharklet devices are offered as an option for new-build A320 Family aircraft deliveries from the end of 2012.
Measuring 2.5 metres tall they will reduce fuel burn by around 3.5 percent over longer sectors as well increasing the A320 Family’s payload-range and improving take-off performance.