Airbus - ANA to add five more A320s configured for international routes - 27-Jan-06

The Japanese carrier is also to lease two additional A320 aircraft. These A320s are configured for ANA's international routes. With the introduction of a further five A320s to its fleet, ANA is planning to expand its network to destinations in China.

ANA's A320s will be equipped with CFM International CFM56-5B4/P engines. The Japanese airline company currently operates 28 A320s.

Airbus President & CEO Gustav Humbert, said: "We are extremely pleased that Japan's first A320 operator has again chosen A320s to increase its single aisle fleet. The decision by ANA is a testimony that the operational reliability and global efficiency of the A320 has been highly evaluated by the Japanese company. Our best-selling A320 Family is the undoubted reference both for legacy carriers and the newly developing low-cost carrier market. We are very proud to have been selected by Japan's leading airline ANA again, and represents a further milestone for Airbus' development in Japan."

The A320 Family's optimised cabin cross-section - the widest single-aisle fuselage on the market - sets new standards for passenger cabin flexibility in this segment. It allows for top-of-the-range comfort with wider seats and aisles. It is also equipped with the most modern platform for in-flight entertainment and is best-suited single-aisle aircraft for international routes.

The wider fuselage also provides unmatched cargo capability, offering a containerised cargo loading system that is essential for profitable cargo operations. This system is compatible with the worldwide standard widebody system, which reduces ground equipment and handling costs.

Firm orders for the Airbus A320 Family now stand at more than 4,200 aircraft, making it the world's fastest and best-selling airliners of all times. The Airbus A320 Family has been ordered by, or is in service with, more than 200 customers and operators worldwide.

ANA became Airbus' second Japanese customer when it ordered ten A320s in 1987. Since the aircraft entered service with the carrier early in 1991, ANA has increased its total firm orders for the A320 to 31. ANA also operates seven of its sister aircraft, the A321.

A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in Japan, China, and the U.S. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE Systems.

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