US AIRWAYS confirms a rash of commitments for

[Alain Durand]

Airbii, with 350s as top items.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...bus-order.html

US Airways firms large Airbus order
By Graham Dunn

US Airways has signed a contract for 92 Airbus aircraft including 22 A350 XWBs, firming up its commitment first disclosed during this year’s Paris Air Show.

The contract covers 18 A350-800s and four A350-900s – the carrier had previously said it would take both types but not specified the exact split - together with ten A330-200s and 60 A320 family aircraft. The narrowbody order covers 10 A319s, 40 A320s and ten A321s.

US Airways will take delivery of its first A350 in 2014 and deliveries will run to 2017. The carrier says the aircraft allow for "modest international expansion or replacement of existing older technology aircraft should market conditions warrant".

It also says it has purchase rights for additional aircraft, allowing for the eventual retirement of all other widebody jets leaving it with a single intercontinental fleet of A350s.

Deliveries of the ten A330s - which can be converted to either A330-300s or longer range A340s – run through 2009 and 2010. The aircraft will replace Boeing 767 aircraft.

Deliveries of the Airbus narrowbodies – which also include 37 aircraft from a previous order – will run from 2008 to 2012. The A320s will replace its Boeing 737-300/400s. US Airways also holds "extensive" conversion rights as part of this order.

"US Airways CEO and Chairman Doug Parker says: "We are very pleased to have cemented our order with Airbus and look forward to continued success with as we add these new safe, efficient and comfortable airplanes to our fleet.

"Both the A320 Family and A330 have served us very well, and we look forward to capitalising on the advantages the A350 XWB will add to our fleet."