Gunter Endres/LONDONGuy Norris/LOS ANGELES
INTERNATIONAL LEASE Finance (ILFC) is further strengthening its aircraft portfolio with an order for 38 new Airbus aircraft, plus eight options, and 18 Boeing 777-200/-300s, plus two options, estimated to be worth a combined $5.8 billion.
This latest transaction with Airbus consists of 26 wide-body and 12 single-aisle aircraft (including 13 of the recently launched A330-200s, for which ILFC is the first customer), one A330-300, 12 A340-300s (with the higher maximum take-off weight of 270t), three A319s, six A320s and three A321s. Options cover five aircraft from the widebody and three from the single-aisle family.
General Electric has won the lion's share of the power plants selected for the deal, supplying the CF6-80E1 for six A330-200s and the single A330-300, and the GE90 for ten Boeing 777s. It also shares with Snecma an order for the CFM56, selected to power five of the A320s and six A340-300s.
Three A330-200s will be powered, by the Pratt & Whitney PW4000, which has also been chosen by ILFC for five of the new 777s. The Rolls-Royce Trent 800 has been selected, for four of the 777s, and the Trent 700 for four A330-200s, which launches the engine on the long-range version of the Airbus twin. Negotiations are believed to be in the final stage with International Aero Engines for the supply of V2500s for the remaining seven Airbus narrow-bodies on order.
Deliveries are to start in May 1997 with the A340-300. ILFC will begin receiving the A319/320/321 order from January 1998, and the A330-200 order from May 1998. Deliveries of the Boeing 777s will take place, between 1999 and 2004.
ILFC is the largest single Airbus customer, with a total of 197 aircraft on firm order. It has ordered 377 aircraft from Boeing, including an order in 1995 for 54 new-generation 737-600/-700/-800s.
Source: Flight International
