China Aircraft Leasing Company commits to 36 A320 Family aircraft

China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC), the fast growing Hong Kong based aircraft leasing company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 2012 Farnborough International Airshow for 36 current generation A320 Family aircraft. The deal includes eight A321s, the largest member of the A320 Family and operators will be able to select Airbus' new fuel saving Sharklets.

"This is an important milestone for CALC," said Dr. Mike Poon, CEO of CALC. "We have a long-term commitment to the aviation industry and are very pleased to establish a relationship with Airbus. This sizeable aircraft order will lay the foundation for CALC to achieve our ambition to become a major aircraft lessor in the region."

"We are delighted to welcome CALC as our newest Airbus and A320 Family customer. We're equally happy that they have chosen the industry's favourite single-aisle aircraft to position themselves at the forefront of the fast growing Chinese market," said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus' President and Chief Executive Officer. "It's no secret that if the A320 Family is the cornerstone of airline fleets around the world, it's because they get an unbeatable return on their investment thanks to the A320 Family's outstanding reliability and low operating costs."

CALC currently owns a portfolio of 11 Airbus aircraft including five A320s, five A321s and one A330. It also has three A330s and five A320s aircraft in its delivery pipeline. With this new commitment, CALC's Airbus fleet will grow to over 50.

Sharklets are new large wingtip devices measuring 2.5 metres tall which reduce fuel burn by around 3.5 percent over longer sectors. This corresponds to an annual CO2 reduction of some 1000 tonnes per aircraft. Offered as an option for new-build A320 Family aircraft deliveries from end 2012, Sharklets also increase the A320 Family's payload-range and improve take-off performance.

As of today, more than 8,500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold and more than 5,100 delivered to over 365 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world's best selling commercial jetliner ever. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft.