Qatar Orders 80 Airbus A350XWBs
Dow Jones Newswires:
Quote:
Airbus Lands $16 Billion Order From Qatar
By Aude Lagorce
LONDON (Dow Jones) -- Airbus Wednesday won a $16 billion pledge from Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways to buy 80 A350XWBs planes, sealing the European aircraft maker's first major victory against Boeing's fast-selling 787 Dreamliner this year.
The agreement, signed in Paris in the presence of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and new French President Nicolas Sarkozy, replaces one signed in 2005 for 60 of the original A350 aircraft.
The original plane faced strong criticism from customer airlines who complained the cabin was too small and more expensive to operate than the Dreamliner's, leading to a complete revamp unveiled at the Farnborough air show near London last July. But in the course of the year the new plane, called the A350XWB, garnered just 13 firm orders. In comparison, Boeing has racked up more than 500 orders for the Dreamliner. More...
