#aerospace #britishairways #ukmfg #britishmanufacturing #IAG #A350 British Airways’ parent company has agreed a £1.04 billion deal with Airbus that will see the airline buy 18 of the manufacturer’s long-haul A350 aircraft, with an option to purchase a further 18. IAG, the owner of both British Airways and Iberia, has also secured commercial terms and delivery slots that could lead to orders for Iberia.
Firm orders will only be made when Iberia is in a position to grow profitably, having restructured and reduced its cost base.
The choice of the A350-1000 follows British Airways’ decision in 2007 to buy 12 Airbus A380s, the first of which will be delivered this summer. Operating the A380 and A350 together “delivers real value” to the world’s leading airlines because it allows them to match aircraft capacity to traffic demand on all routes.
IAG chief executive Willie Walsh said: “The A350-1000 will bring many benefits to our fleet. Its size and range will be an excellent fit for our existing network and, with lower unit costs, there is an opportunity to operate a new range of destinations profitably. This will not only bring greater flexibility to our network but also more choice for our customers.
“This order will secure jobs in Britain and Spain. The A350’s wings are made in Britain, while its horizontal tail plane, horizontal tail-plane boxes and lower wing covers are made in Spain. Its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines are assembled in Britain.”
IAG announced earlier this month that it had agreed to buy a further 18 Boeing 787 Dreamliners for BA, despite the recent problems with the aircraft’s battery. The new Airbus and Boeing planes will together replace BA’s fleet of 30 Boeing 747-400 planes between 2017 and 2023.