Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., is allegedly gearing up to announce a significant upgrade to its long-haul fleet, purchasing 12 Airbus Group SE A350-1000 jets. The massive deal, as described by sources who wish to remain anonymous, is priced at $4.3 billion, according to Bloomberg Business.
With the number of jets ordered, Virgin would most probably purchase nine of the twin-engine A350-1000 aircraft directly from Airbus, with the remaining three being taken from leasing firms. Together with the Boeing 777, Virgin has been looking at the A350-1000 as an ideal replacement for the company's four-engine Boeing 747 jumbo jets, which form the heart of Virgin's long-haul leisure operations.
The A350-1000 is currently Airbus' largest aircraft in the XWB family of wide-body, dual-engine airplanes, which are significantly more fuel-efficient than the aging 747s. The aircraft has a pretty hefty price, however, costing $355.7 million per unit in Airbus' official price list, reports Market Watch.
Virgin Atlantic returned to profit in 2014, mainly due to a partnership with U.S.-based operator Delta Air Lines Co., which owns 49 percent of the company. After the partnership with Delta, Virgin has refocused its efforts on trans-Atlantic routes, hence the need for new, efficient long-haul aircraft.
Last November, Erik Varwijk, executive vice president commercial of Virgin Atlantic, stated that the company wishes the new aircraft to be made available from late 2018 or early 2019. For its part, Airbus seems very capable of fulfilling the orders, as shown by the company recently besting its rival, Boeing, in the annual tally of global aircraft orders, according to Reuters.
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