North African airline Tunisair has signed a contract with Airbus for three A350-800s, three A330-200s and ten A320s here at the Farnborough Air Show, as part of an important fleet development plan to modernize and expand the airline.
Tunisair is the third African airline to order the all-new A350XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) following an initial agreement announced last April. The 60-year-old airline already has 12 A320s, four A319s, and three A300-600s in operation.
The new, eco-efficient A350s will serve long-haul routes to North America and Asia. Meanwhile, the A330s will allow the airline to modernize its wide-body fleet before entering the long haul market. The A320s on the other hand will allow Tunisair to renew and expand its regional operations with more efficient and cost effective aircraft.
"With this firm order, Tunisair underlines its positive business outlook and can now start putting its plans into action and prepare for the future, both nearer and further out, with the right aircraft," Nabil Chettaoui, president and CEO of Tunisair group, said.
"We are very proud of this renewed trust from Tunisair, which shows the value and strength of the Airbus Family concept, bringing operational commonality into their fleet and allowing for important cost savings and fleet efficiency," Fabrice Bregier, Airbus chief operating officer, said.
"Tunisair was one of our first customers. It has accompanied Airbus since its early days and grown with us. We are very happy to further strengthen our close ties well into the future," he added.
Tunisair placed its first order in 1980 for an Airbus A300B4. It has built up its Airbus fleet, with the first A320 order placed in 1988, one of the first orders for the type in Africa. The airline was the first to start operating this aircraft type in Africa.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article