FARNBOROUGH, England, 11 July 2012. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in Toulouse, France, picked up the pace of aircraft sales Wednesday at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England, by picking up 46 orders and options for single-aisle and widebody passenger aircraft.

Airbus took orders Wednesday for 10 A330 widebody passenger jets from CIT Group Inc., a bank holding company in New York, as well as signed a memorandum of understanding for 36 current-generation A320 family single-aisle aircraft from Hong Kong-based aircraft leasing firm China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC).

These Airbus orders Wednesday bring to 61 the total number of aircraft that Airbus has sold during Farnborough. This total places Airbus behind archrival Boeing in the 2012 Farnborough aircraft-sales sweepstakes. As of Wednesday, Boeing had booked 267 aircraft orders and options during and just prior to the air show.

On Tuesday Airbus sold 10 A350-1000 widebody passenger jets to Hong Kong-based air carrier Cathay Pacific Airways. Also on Tuesday Airbus sold one Airbus A319 narrow-body jetliner with fuel-saving sharklet wingtips to Drukair, the flag carrier of the Eastern Himalayan mountain Kingdom of Bhutan.

On Monday Airbus took an order for four A320neo aircraft from Israeli carrier Arikas Israeli Airlines based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Wednesday's deal with CIT Group involves five A330s ordered previously, and a new agreement for five additional A330s with the first commitment for the newly launched, longer-range A330, Airbus officials say. The order brings the total number of A330s on order from CIT to 51. The A330 family ranges in size from 250 to 300 seats.

Wednesday's memorandum of understanding commits China Aircraft Leasing to buy 36 A320 family aircraft. The deal includes eight A321s, the largest member of the A320 family. CALC now owns 11 Airbus aircraft including five A320s, five A321s, and one A330. The company also has three A330s and five A320s on order.

For more information contact Airbus online at www.airbus.com, or the Farnborough International Airshow at www.farnborough.com. Also follow Military & Aerospace Electronics and Avionics Intelligence daily Farnborough show coverage online at www.militaryaerospace.com/farnborough-report.

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