Mexican carrier Aeroenlaces Nacionales, trading as VivaAerobus, is set to place a $5bn order for narrow-body aircraft to Airbus, as part of the airline’s plans to upgrade a fleet of old Boeing 737 jets.
VivaAerobus is expected to announce the full order next week, Bloomberg reported citing undisclosed sources.
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The order will comprise 40 A320neos, powered with new engines, and 12 current A320 models.
Airbus’s A320 single-aisle medium-range aircraft first entered service in 1988, and features advanced technology including the extensive use of weight-saving composites, an optimised wing, a centralised fault display as well as Airbus fly-by-wire flight controls.
More than 5,000 aircraft from this range are in service today, with in excess of 8,600 orders.
The Airbus A320neo family, which is currently under development, is part of the modernisation programme A320 Enhanced which was started in 2006.
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By GlobalDataIt consumes 15% less fuel than its predecessor.
Airbus is planning to begin delivery of A320neos in late-2015.
While replacement of VivaAerobus’s Boeing fleet will be a boost for Airbus, the move will also benefit the airline as the A320neo and new A320 aircraft are reportedly more fuel-efficient than the ageing 737s.
VivaAerobus has sent out invitations for a meeting on 21 October that includes an announcement, without going into specific details, Bloomberg reported.
The airline was established in 2006 by Ryanair Holdings founder Tony Ryan in collaboration with a Mexican bus company.
Image: More than 5,000 A320 aircraft are in service today. Photo: file image.
