GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric [NYSE: GE], has signed a firm order for 12 additional long-range A330-300 aircraft. This new order brings the total number of A330s ordered by GECAS to 32.

“This order adds to our existing portfolio of A330 aircraft,” said Norman C. T. Liu, GECAS President and CEO. “A key part of our strategy is to expand our wide-body product offerings to satisfy customer demand.”

“This repeat order from GECAS underscores the ongoing popularity of the A330, and highlights the strong market demand for the A330-300 in particular” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The unbeatable economic efficiency and proven passenger appeal of this aircraft make it the perfect choice in today’s market for medium capacity routes.”

Airbus aircraft share a unique cockpit and operational commonality, allowing airlines to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers, bringing operational flexibility and resulting in significant cost savings.

With a true wide-body fuselage allowing very high comfort standards, the A330-300 is able to accommodate seat and class configurations to suit diverse customer requirements. It has a range of up to 5,600 nm / 10,400 km with a typical 300 passenger load. Highly efficient and optimised for the medium – to long range market, the A330-300 offers the best balance between range and cost. The A330-300 remains the most economic means of flying 300 or so passengers on medium range routes in true long haul comfort. Orders for the aircraft stand at more than 480.

The A330 Family, which spans 200 to 400 seats for the passenger variants, also includes Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants, has now attracted more than 1,100 orders.

Source: EADS
Photo: Rob Vogelaar, ZAPP