British Airways to Order Widebody Aircraft This Year

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British Airways to Order Widebody Aircraft This Year (Update1)

By Andrea Rothman and Tracy Alloway

June 3 (Bloomberg) -- British Airways Plc said it aims to place an order for widebody planes this year even as it struggles with higher fuel prices and an economic slowdown.

Europe's third-biggest airline is looking at Boeing Co.'s 777-300ER and a planned stretch version of the 787 Dreamliner, together with Airbus SAS's A350 XWB-1000, Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh said today in an interview in Istanbul.

British Airways is aiming to replace 57 Boeing Co. 747 jumbo jets and 21 twin-engine 767s and in September satisfied part of that requirement with an order for 36 Boeing, including 24 Dreamliners, and Airbus jets valued at $8.2 billion. Even as it buys new planes, the London-based airline will probably idle older ones as it seeks to match capacity to demand, Walsh said. [Full Article]

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