Irish airline Aer Lingus said its shareholders had approved an order for 12 Airbus

long-haul aircraft first announced in November. The deal involves six A330-300s and six A350-900s, with an option for six additional A350-900s. The aircraft are to be delivered between 2009 and 2016. The carrier said it had negotiated “significant discounts” from the list price of $ 2.4Bn. Following a partnership agreement with US-based United Airlines and JetBlue last February, Aer Lingus relies on these new planes to support its expansion plans, notably in the transatlantic travel segment. Reuters (10/04), Bloomberg (10/04), Dow Jones Newswires (10/04)