SMALLER MODELS IN FAVOUR
Airbus still confident despite rejection of two superjumbos
The French carrier switchover to lighter twinjets appears for the first time in Airbus’s published order list for January 2017
Paris — Air France had swapped its remaining orders for two Airbus A380 superjumbos for three smaller A350s, Airbus confirmed on Friday, highlighting a switch towards lighter twinjets. The French carrier announced the swap last March and included it in its 2015 annual report, but the switchover appeared in Airbus’s published order list for January 2017. An Airbus spokesman said the company recorded a cancellation once a formal agreement was signed. "In the case of the Air France A380 cancellation, this occurred in January." Air France was one of the first airlines to order the world’s largest passenger jet, placing 10 orders in 2001 and becoming its first European operator. It ordered another two in 2007 as part of a compensation deal for delays caused by industrial problems. Air France and several other carriers later cooled towards the double-decker as a new generation of smaller and lighter twin-engined models came into service. In 2016, the drop in demand forced Airbus to announ...
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