Airbus SE is closing in on a blockbuster agreement to sell $23 billion worth of aircraft, based on list prices, to AirAsia Group, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Malaysian airline, already the second-biggest customer for Airbus’s re-engined A320 narrowbody, is weighing an order for as many as 100 A321neo aircraft, according to people familiar with the discussions. AirAsia is simultaneously close to agreeing to order an additional 34 A330neo widebodies, which would bring its total backlog for that aircraft to 100.
The orders are still subject to final negotiations, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private talks. While no deal has been reached, the sides are close enough that at least part of the sale could be announced next week during the Farnborough Air Show outside London, the industry’s largest trade expo this year, the people said.
Airbus declined to comment. AirAsia declined comment.
The purchase of the A321neos would catapult AirAsia ahead of India’s Interglobe Aviation as the biggest customer for Airbus’s marquee narrowbody jet, extending the Malaysian carrier’s existing orders to 504 planes.
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Even more crucial for Airbus, a decision to take more of the larger A330neos would reaffirm AirAsia’s commitment to that widebody program amid heavy competition with Boeing’s fast-selling 787 Dreamliner. As negotiations heated up last week, AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes fired an unconventional shot at Airbus with a tweet en route to a meeting at the manufacturer’s Toulouse, France, headquarters:
“We have ordered the 330 but to finally confirm it we must make sure price is right. Performance is right. Engine is right,” Mr Fernandes said on Twitter. “If right the plane we dreamt of and fought for and then we can order more. Or else.”
The new planes would help Mr Fernandes further his plan to build a pan-Asian budget airline and capture a share of a market dominated by Gulf-based carriers and Air India. In India, he’s planning more domestic flights, while international operations are on the cards early next year. AirAsia Group also has a long-haul arm, AirAsia X Bhd., whose more than 20 destinations include Auckland, Tokyo, Sapporo, Chengdu, Shanghai, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Honolulu.
For Airbus, a win for the A330neo would follow months of setbacks for the twin-engined jet after Boeing beat out the European plane maker in key contests. Most recently, Airbus lost an order when India’s Vistar chose the Dreamliner. The aircraft, originally designed as a quick and easy upgrade to its popular A330 predecessor, has struggled to stack up orders, with a backlog of 224 aircraft including 10 booked last month from an unidentified customer.”.
The A321neo, the largest of the A320 family, has a list price of $129.5 million, while the dual-aisle A330-900 has a sticker price of $296.4m. Airlines typically benefit from significant discounts to list prices.
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AVOID SCAMMERS: TIPS FROM EMIRATES NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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Company%20Profile
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EXPATS
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
The%20specs
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SPECS
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MATCH INFO
Everton 2 (Tosun 9', Doucoure 93')
Rotherham United 1 (Olosunde 56')
Man of the Match Olosunde (Rotherham)
AT%20A%20GLANCE
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.