Air France-KLM splits order for 110 widebody jetliners between Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 XWB

ROISSYPÔLE, France, 18 Sept. 2011. European airline holding company Air France-KLM in Roissypôle, France, is ordering as many as 110 long-range widebody passenger jetliners -- 50 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets and 60 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft -- the company announced Friday. Air France-KLM is the parent company of French flag carrier Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the flag carrier of The Netherlands. No dollar value for the deal was announced.The passenger jet purchase involves firm orders for 25 Boeing (NYSE:BA) 787-9 Dreamliners, with options for 25 more, as well as for 25 Airbus A350-900 aircraft and options for 35 more. The new aircraft will replace 200-to-350-seat aircraft in the Air France and KLM fleets, as well as support growing operations of the two European air carriers, Air France-KLM (Euronext:AF) officials say.The order will place 73 next generation aircraft in the Air France and KLM fleets through 2024 -- 43 Airbus A350-900 and 30 Boeing 787-9, Air France-KLM officials say. The first 787-9 Dreamliners in the order will enter service with KLM in 2016, and the first Airbus A350-900 with Air France in 2018.

The Airbus A350-900s involved in the order will have Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, while a decision on engines for the 787-9 Dreamliners will be made later, Air France-KLM officials say.

Nine French companies partner with Boeing on the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing officials say. They include Dassault Systèmes (software solutions), Labinal (wiring), Latécoère (passenger doors), Messier-Bugatti (electric brakes), Messier-Dowty (main and nose landing gear), Michelin (aftermarket tires), Radiall (connectors), Thales (electric power conversion system, flight display, in-flight entertainment system), and Zodiac (emergency slides, primary electrical distribution and various equipment).

The A350 XWB (xtra wide-body) family has three models seating from 270 and 350 passengers in three-class layouts on flights as long as 8,500 nautical miles. The 787-9 will have a lengthened fuselage, and seat 250 to 290 passengers in three classes with a range of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles. This version has a higher fuel capacity than the 787-8, higher maximum takeoff weight, and the same wingspan.

For more information contact Air France-KLM online at www.airfranceklm.com, Boeing Commercial Airplanes at www.boeing.com/commercial, or Airbus at www.airbus.com.

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