Airbus announces deal with ILFC, wins Air Transport award

New aircraft leasing company International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) has signed a contract at for the purchase of 111 Airbus aircraft, including five A380-800s and five A380-800F freighters, 21 A330 aircraft and 80 A320 Family aircraft.
ILFC’s order for A330 aircraft would include a large number of A330-200 freighters, should Airbus decide to launch such a programme later in the year, making ILFC the launch customer for this new variant.

“The order reflects our continued commitment to Airbus’ outstanding products and ever-increasing market presence. We foresee further increases in the demand for these aircraft, including and in particular, for the A380, both in its passenger and freighter versions. Our cooperation with Airbus is excellent, and as you can see, we believe in building on it,” said Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, ILFC’s Chief Executive Officer.

ILFC was a launch customer for Airbus’ A380, but also for the A318, A319, A321-200 and the A330-200. ILFC is Airbus’ largest single customer worldwide.

Meanwhile, Airbus Industrie has also won the Air Transport category award for launching the A380 a mere six months after official authorisation to offer the all-new superjumbo was granted by Airbus’ shareholders in June 2000.

The award was presented to Jrgen Thomas, dubbed the “father” of the A380, by Klaus Koplin, (Chief Executive of the European Joint Aviation Authority), in Paris on June 18 .