In a show not characterised by many order announcements, Airbus put up a good show yesterday, landing a $1.5 billion A320 sale in India and a commitment to the same aircraft type from Indonesia. 
GoAir, based in Mumbai, placed a firm order for ten A320 family aircraft, with an option on another ten.
Adam Air of Indonesia made a commitment to renew its fleet, replacing Boeing 737 aircraft with Airbus A320s, initially committing to leasing six but talking in terms of building a fleet of 30 aircraft.
Jeh Wadia, GoAir managing director, said that the airline had selected the A320 on “commercial, financial, technical and operational grounds”.
He added that the airline had not yet specified which types within the A320 family it would choose.
“We are very pleased to have selected the A320 family for our future fleet requirements. The A320 family is the preferred choice of all leading Indian operators. This is the beginning of a long-term partnership between GoAir and Airbus,” he said.
GoAir launched services with two leased A320s in November, 2005 and has a further four leased A320s scheduled to enter the fleet during 2006.
Also yesterday, Adam Air confirmed its intention to lease six A320s as replacements for its existing Boeing 737s. It also said it has a long-term strategy of building a 30-strong A320 fleet which will comprise both leased and purchased aircraft.
“In just two years, Adam Air has built a strong competitive position in one of the fastest growing markets in the world,” said Adam Air president director Adam Adhitya Suherman. “Now is the time for the next step in our development.”
• Meanwhile Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Commission is leading an enquiry into how an Adam Air 737 “lost its way” and landed on an isolated island airstrip with just a 1,600 metre runway. There were no casualties.
Source: Flight Daily News
