Manufacturing premises in Bristol is flying ahead with Airbus’s new order from British Airways group
Aerospace giant Airbus has signed an agreement to sell up to 36 of its new A350 aircraft to British Airways owner International Airline Group (IAG).
The group, which also owns Iberia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to buy 18 A350-1000s and taken out options on a further 18 options, as part of the airline’s on-going long-haul aircraft fleet renewal and modernisation strategy.
The innovative wings for the aircraft, which are made from lightweight composite materials, were designed by Airbus engineers at its Filton, Bristol plant and will be part built by GKN at its Severnside plant.
IAG has also secured commercial terms and delivery slots that could lead to firm orders for Iberia. Firm orders will only be made when Iberia is in a position to grow profitably, having restructured and reduced its cost base.
The choice of the A350-1000 follows British Airways’ decision in 2007 to buy 12 Airbus A380s, the first of which will be delivered this summer. Operating the A380 and A350 together delivers real value to the world’s leading airlines because it allows them to match aircraft capacity to traffic demand on any route.
“The A350-1000 will bring many benefits to our fleet. Its size and range will be an excellent fit for our existing network and, with lower unit costs, there is an opportunity to operate a new range of destinations profitably. This will not only bring greater flexibility to our network but also more choice for our customer,” said Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive.
Source: Bristol Business News