In the battle between Airbus and Boeing in the race for the mega order from Air France-KLM, the agreement was signed by the Toulouse manufacturer who snatched a firm order for 100 aircraft of the A320neo family with an option for another 60 aircraft for Transavia and KLM. Four more orders have been signed for the cargo version of the A350F for Air France.
The Franco-Dutch airline group had launched a tender earlier this year to renew and expand KLM’s and Transavia’s medium-haul fleets for both the French and Dutch divisions. The tensions that arose with the American manufacturer due to delays in deliveries of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners also contributed to the tilt in favor of the European consortium.
In a press release, the French-Dutch company made it known that “the A320neo family aircraft offer the best performance for the needs of the companies of the group” as well as guaranteeing “a reduction in unit costs by more than 10%, and in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of 15%. They are also 50% less noisy than the previous generation of aircraft ». The new aircraft will be based at both Amsterdan Schiphol and Paris-Orly airports, both of Transavia’s hubs, and will be deployed on European medium-haul routes.
With the Air France-KLM agreement, the positive week for Airbus continues after the contract signed with Singapore Airlines for an option of seven new A350 cargo planes. In the manufacturers’ ranking for the current year, Boeing is currently first for firm orders, thanks to the strong recovery in sales of the B737MAX model, which has returned to service after being shut down for safety reasons. Before the end of the year Boeing could sign a contract with British Airways which has just launched a new low cost airline for Europe BA Eurofly based at London Garwick Airport.