The International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and Boeing have completed a firm order for 33 737-800 aircraft with the airframer's new Sky Interior.
Deliveries for the new narrowbodies are expected to begin in 2012 and will incorporate Boeing's latest tranche of updates to the 737, including drag refinements and the CFM56-7BE engine.
According to Boeing's website, prior to this latest order, the lessor has ordered 430 737 aircraft since 1978, with nine 737-700 and -800s remaining to be delivered.
ILFC says the order, which was coupled with a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 100 A320neo family aircraft was made possible by the lessor's "access to substantial liquidity with initiatives that led to $14 billion in financings and aircraft sales followed by a $2 billion revolving unsecured line of credit from eleven banks".
"These orders rebalance ILFC's order book and allow us to continue to offer the most technologically advanced single-aisle aircraft to our customers. They perfectly complement our existing widebody orders for the 787 and A350 aircraft," says ILFC CEO Henri Courpron.
Boeing says the order is valued at more than $2.6 billion at list prices.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
