Airbus has landed its second multi-billion pound order in less than a week with Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines announcing it is to buy at least 75 medium-haul planes worth around $7.5bn (£4.7bn).
The Istanbul-based budget carrier placed a firm order for 58 fuel-efficient A320neo (new engine option) aircraft and 17 A321neos.
The deal also includes options for a further 25 aircraft. If all options are exercised, the deal’s value for all 100 aircraft could rise to $9.9bn, based on official Airbus prices.
Last week Airbus confirmed a 100-aircraft, £5.8bn order from fast-growing airline AirAsia for A320s, including the neo version, which has been re-engineered at its Filton, Bristol, plant.
Wings for all Airbus planes are designed by engineers at Filton, where Airbus employs around 4,000 people. Over the past couple of years teams of Filton engineers have worked on the A320neo (new engine option) – a new version of the budget airline workhorse with innovative ‘sharklets’ that make it one of the most fuel-efficient on the market.
Pegasus currently operates aircraft built by Airbus’s arch-rival US Boeing.
