Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
International Lease Finance (ILFC) is on the verge of placing a follow-on order with Airbus Industrie for another 50 widebody and narrowbody aircraft. At the same time, the leasing company continues to express interest in the proposed Boeing 777-100X shrink development.
The Los Angeles-based leasing company is understood to be finalising a deal for three more A340-600s, seven A330-200/300s and 40 A320 family series aircraft. The latter could include more A318s, A319s and the larger A321. ILFC will not comment on order plans.
This latest deal would increase ILFC's Airbus orderbook to close to 400 aircraft, of which 164 had been delivered by the end of February. The leasing company's orderbook to date comprises 30 A318s, 63 A319s 103 A320s, 55 A321s, nine A300s, seven A310s, 47 A330s and 27 A340s.
More aircraft are needed to top up ILFC's fleet after recent leasing deals, including placing two A330-200s with British Midland, another three with Air France and one -300 with Dragonair. Approval is pending for a China Eastern Airlines combined lease and purchase of up to eight A340-500/600s.
ILFC, in the meantime, is pushing Boeing to proceed with development of the proposed 777-100X, suggesting that it might be prepared to order a significant number of the 250-seat derivative, together with the newly launched stretched -300ER version. The company has ordered 34 777-200ERs and taken delivery of nine of the twinjets.
Source: Flight International
