Renews Company Confidence In Mid-Sized Jet

US leasing company Pegasus Aviation Finance Company has signed a firm contract for two A350XWBs and six A330-200s. The order is the first for the A350XWB since it was officially launched in November last year, and Airbus says it marks a renewed vote of confidence in the aircraft.

The December deal is the first-ever between Pegasus and Airbus, and it allows Airbus to count the jets toward its 2006 order total -- more on that in a minute.

"We are thrilled to add the A350 and A330 to our aircraft range," said Richard S. Wiley, Pegasus Aviation Finance Company CEO and President. "We pride ourselves in offering our customers the most modern and technologically advanced aircraft on the market and the A350XWB strengthens this reputation. We have also been a strong supporter of the A330 program, particularly in Asia and are delighted to have six more A330s in our portfolio to meet the requirements of our global customers and serve as a nice complement to our future A350XWB deliveries."

San Francisco based Pegasus -- formed in 1988 -- is one of the world's largest commercial aircraft lessors, with a fleet of over 200 aircraft.

"We are delighted that Pegasus has chosen Airbus aircraft as a critical component for its future growth. In the A350XWB, they have not only ordered an aircraft that is the world's most technologically advanced and efficient, it's also a generation ahead of the current competition and a step ahead of the future competition. We are also proud that Pegasus has also opted for the A330-200. The aircraft offers very low operating cost per seat as well as the widest and most comfortable cabin in its class," said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer.

Neither side was willing to share financial details, but the six aircraft are worth $1.4 billion at current list prices.

As far as those 2006 order totals... Several last-minute order announcements from Airbus has industry pundits wondering if the planemaker plans another eleventh-hour, come-from-behind victory for the 2006 order race as it did the year before.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week Malaysian airline AirAsia has doubled its previous 100 plane order, and Airbus has issued an advisory through a PR firm it will hold a news conference in London Monday to announce a "major aircraft purchase."

Airbus last published 2006 order totals in November. As of then, the company reported 635 for the year -- still far behind Boeing's 1,044. The European planemaker would have to something really spectacular to find over 400 orders in a month...

We're not sure exactly what's gonna happen, but we're sure it's gonna be entertaining!

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.pegasusaviation.com