Europeans devote some € 200Bn to defence, the world’s second-largest spending after the US

L’Express columnist Jacques Attali reports that the Europeans devote some € 200Bn to defence, the world’s second-largest spending after the US. The European armies count 2 million soldiers and

Italian airline AirOne has ordered 24 Airbus planes

Italian airline AirOne has ordered 24 Airbus planes -12 A350s and 12 A330s- for $ 4.67Bn at list prices. The deal includes 12 A350s and 8 A330s in options. AirOne said the A330s will all be delivered by 2012

Saudi Arabian Airlines said it had agreed to purchase eight Airbus A330s and 12 Boeing 787s

Saudi Arabian Airlines said it had agreed to purchase eight Airbus A330s and 12 Boeing 787s to replace older, less fuel-efficient aircraft.

Gulf Air announced that it had ordered 35 aircraft from Airbus

At the Berlin Air Show yesterday, Gulf Air announced that it had ordered 35 aircraft -15 A320s and 20 A330s- from Airbus, in a deal worth $ 5Bn at list prices, the biggest contract signed by the plane maker

Airbus could lift A330 and A340 production from eight to 12 units a month

Airbus could lift A330 and A340 production from eight to 12 units a month, says Suddeutsche Zeitung, citing chief commercial officer John Leahy. “Even if we build 12 planes, we will sell them all”, reportedly declared Mr Leahy. Besides, the A330 is also the basis for the aerial refuelling tankers to be built for the US Air Force. Suddeutsche Zeitung

Tunis Air finally agreed to acquire 10 A320s, 3 A330s and 3 A350 XWBs,

Tunis Air finally agreed to acquire 10 A320s, 3 A330s and 3 A350 XWBs, to overhaul its fleet. The order also comes with an option for 3 additional planes. The deal is valued at €1.85 at list price. President Sarkozy rejoiced about the deal and announced that Latecoere would set up a new plant in Tunisia. AFP (29/04), Les Echos, La Croix, Negocio

Tunisair chooses Airbus to modernise and expand its fleet with A350s, A330s and A320s

North African airline Tunisair has signed a letter of acceptance of the Airbus proposal for the acquisition of three A350-800s, three A330-200s and ten A320s, as part of an important fleet development plan that will modernise and expand the fleet of this growing airline. With this acquisition, Tunisair is the third African airline to order the all-new A350 XWB. Tunisair currently already has 12 A320s, four A319s of which two with extended range capability and three A300-600s in operation.

EADS Casa is to win $1.1 Bn, out of the US tanker deal given by the Pentagon to the European aerospace company.

EADS Casa is to win $1.1 Bn, out of the US tanker deal given by the Pentagon to the European aerospace company. According to information from Negocio, EADS Casa would obtain for its collaboration a $16 M profit per plane, for a first lot of 68 units. This does not include extra profits derived from the manufacturing of parts for the A330 platform, which the tankers are based on. Negocio (28/04)

Controversy Continues Over Air Force Contract

The U.S. Air Force surprised many observers on Feb. 29 by awarding one of the largest procurement contracts in history to Northrop Grumman over its favored rival Boeing. The $40 billion award is for the development and production of 179 aerial refueling KC-45 aircraft. Follow-on production orders are likely to replace additional segments of the refueling fleet, making the overall project worth upward of $100 billion.
However, the contract has aroused considerable political controversy in Washington, since the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) served as Northrop’s junior partner in the joint bid. Politics, not military requirements, will now determine the fate of the award.

Japan Airlines have both ordered the Boeing 787 aircraft,

Airbus sets its sights on Japan, in an effort to challenge Boeing’s stronghold. AFX notes that Boeing boasts extensive partnership and supply agreements with Japanese companies, which have guaranteed the plane maker consistently won the bulk of orders from Nippon airlines. Airbus now hopes to take advantage of a state visit to Japan by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, accompanied by Louis Gallois, to give a boost to its activities in this lucrative market. “The Prime Minister has been extremely efficient and aggressive on this issue”, said Louis Gallois, alluding to talks between Mr Fillon and his Japanese counterpart Yasuo Fukuda. As All Nippon Airways and the delays to the programme could be an advantage for Airbus in Japan, says a London-based analyst. “The problem is that Boeing owns Japan”,

EADS share suffers “scandalous under-evaluation”.

The aerospace group’s share, indeed, did not react to the announcement that Airbus had won nearly 400 net aircraft orders in the first quarter of 2008. Airbus sells plenty more aircraft than its rival Boeing, points out the weekly. Besides, Airbus has a dynamic aircraft development policy: after launching the A330 cargo version last year, it is currently defining a cargo variant of its A320 in cooperation with Russian partners. Still, the market remains cautious about EADS, following leaks of the AMF report that warn of a fall of Airbus’s future profitability, allegedly written down in the group’s books as soon as June 2005. L’Hebdo-Bourse Plus (11/04)

Aer Lingus confirmed that it had ordered twelve aircraft from Airbus.

The national Irish airline has ordered six long-haul A350-900s and six A330-300s for $ 2.4Bn, at list prices, saying in a statement that it had been granted “substantial discounts” by Airbus. The 12 aircraft should be delivered between 2009 and 2016. Aer Lingus also placed an option for “six additional A350 planes that could be delivered between 2016 and 2018”. AFP (11/04), Reuters (11/04), Le Figaro Economie, Les Echos

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)

The delays to the 787 are forcing Qantas Airways to implement contingency measures:

it will lease up to six Airbus A330 aircraft to operate its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar on international routes. Geoff Dixon, CEO of Qantas, underlined that he would seek “substantial liquidated damage” from Boeing due to the postponement of the Dreamliner. DowJones Newswire (09/04)

As expected, EADS signed a €16.6 Bn deal with UK to supply 14refuelling tankers.

The Ministry of Defence told reporters in a news conference that it hadsigned a 27-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deal with the Air Tanker consortium, whichalso includes Rolls-Royce Group PLC, Cobham, Thales UK and VT Group. EADS itself is toget a 40% share in the sales of the contract. The consortium will supply modified A330s (thesame airplanes that were chosen by the Pentagon a few weeks ago) to replace old Tristarand VC-10 models of the RAF. Indeed, Louis Gallois commented that “this victory furtherdemonstrates the A330 as the platform of choice for the world’s refuel ling fleets and comeson the back of our recent success in the US market”. For the Financial Times, it is indeed afurther boost for the group’s ambition to become the global