CHINA, 5 Nov. 2008. BOC Aviation, the Singapore-based aircraft leasing unit of Bank of China, placed additional firm orders with Airbus for 20 A320 family aircraft. The announcement was made today at the Zhuhai Air Show in China.
"Our latest orders reflect ongoing demand for leased aircraft from the A320 Family at both full service and low cost airlines around the world," says Robert Martin, managing director and chief executive officer, BOC Aviation. "The decision to acquire these additional aircraft also represents a sound investment in a proven asset, offering long term value for our business."
"The order from BOC Aviation is another vote of confidence in the proven appeal of the A320 Family, especially as airlines around the world look to replace older aircraft with newer, more efficient models," says John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer, Customers. "It also reflects the proven underlying value of the A320 Family as a long term investment for the aircraft leasing community."
BOC Aviation, formerly known as Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE), is the largest Asia-based aircraft leasing company. Altogether, the company has now ordered 98 single aisle aircraft directly from Airbus, of which 58 have already been delivered.
The A320 family includes the A318, A319, A320, and A321. Each aircraft features fly-by-wire controls and all share a unique cockpit and operational commonality across the range. The aircraft offers a containerized cargo system, which is compatible with the worldwide standard widebody system.
