Airborne with Airbus

Jet Airways has signed a Purchase Agreement with Airbus for ten A330-200s, becoming an early Indian customer for the A330 family. Jet Airways has also taken options for another ten aircraft.

Deliveries of the A330s will begin in the first quarter of 2007, making Jet Airways the first Indian carrier to receive brand-new airliners in this category.

Jet Airways is already an A340 operator, having begun A340-300E services to London earlier this year, using leased aircraft. It plans to use its Airbus A330s on a mix of regional and international flights.

Jet Airways is India's largest private carrier, and is building an intercontinental network to complement its established domestic services.

Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier, has signed a contract for the purchase of seven Airbus A321 aircraft for its medium-haul fleet modernisation programme. Deliveries of the aircraft are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Powered by CFM International CFM56-5 engines, Aeroflot's A321s will feature two-class cabin layouts seating 170 passengers including 20 seats in a fixed business class. The airline plans to operate these aircraft on its European and domestic networks.

Aeroflot was the first Airbus customer and operator in Russia, putting an A310 in service in 1992. It was also the first airline in the CIS to operate the A319 and A321. Aeroflot currently operates eight A319s, seven A320s and three A321s and flies to almost 90 destinations worldwide.