AIRBUS SIGNS ONE BILLION DLR JAPANESE CONTRACT
The European <Airbus Industrie> consortium
has signed a one billion dlr contract to sell 10 A320
short-haul jets to <All Nippon Airways> of Japan, with an
option on the sale of a further 10 planes, an Airbus spokesman
said today.
    The 10 planes on firm order will be delivered between
September, 1990 and November, 1991, and will be powered either
by CFM-56-5S engines made by the Franco-U.S. <CFM
International> consortium, or V2500S engines built by the
<International Aero Engine> group.
    The spokesman declined to comment on a New York Times
report that Airbus is about to announce a sale to American
Airlines.
    But industry sources said American was about to announce
the purchase of 25 wide-bodied planes from Airbus, as well as
15 747s from Boeing Co <BAN>.
    Airbus has already signed large deals with Pan Am Corp
<PNN>, NWA Inc <NWA> and Eastern Airlines Inc <EALN>, as well
as a smaller contract with <Continental Airlines>.
    The A320 made its first flight on February 22 and is not
due to enter commercial service until March next year.
    The All Nippon purchase brings the total number of
commitments to the A320 to 439 from 16 airlines, comprising 275
firm orders and 164 options.
 REUTER
