BA orders 12 A380 and 24 Boeing 787 aircraft
British Airways has ordered 12 Airbus A380 and 24 Boeing 787 aircraft, with options for a further seven A380s and 18 787s.
The new aircraft will replace 34 of the airline’s long-haul fleet and will be delivered between 2010 and 2014.
The total order, including the options, will allow BA to grow its capacity by up to 4% per year.
BA said the A380s will be used to provide more capacity for key high-density markets and maximise use of scarce Heathrow slots.
The B787, meanwhile, will be used to start new routes and increase frequencies in existing markets.
Chief executive Willie Walsh said: “This is an exciting day for British Airways with our largest fleet order since 1998.
“These aircraft set the gold standard when it comes to environmental performance in the key areas of CO2 emissions, local air quality and noise. They will contribute significantly to our target of improving fuel efficiency by 25% between 2005 and 2025.
“They are also much quieter than their predecessors, which is of vital importance at Heathrow. Both the A380 and B787 are rated as producing a quarter of the noise level of the B747-400.”
The airline has arranged for a group of banks to provide $1.5 billion of debt financing to cover all of its firm orders to the end of 2011.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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