SIA Regional Operator Orders 11 Planes, Nine Options

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, signed a contract this week for an additional 11 A320 aircraft, plus nine further options. The airline currently operates an all-Airbus fleet of five A319s and eight A320s, with two additional A320 Family aircraft from an order in 2002 still to join the fleet.

The new A320s will be deployed on the airline's expanding route network across Asia, which currently serves 26 destinations in 10 countries.

"SilkAir is delighted to deepen its relationship with Airbus, as we take on more A320 family aircraft to meet our growth needs to 2012," said SilkAir CEO Mike Barclay,. "We have been very satisfied with the performance of our A319 and A320 family aircraft since we began operating them in 1998, and we are pleased to once again select the A320 after a detailed competitive evaluation."

"Over the past eight years, SilkAir has enjoyed the unbeatable combination of low operating costs and outstanding passenger appeal with its fleet of A320 Family aircraft. We are delighted to continue this partnership and contribute to SilkAir's expansion in the future," said Louis Gallois, President and CEO, Airbus.

To date, Airbus has racked up more than 4,800 orders for the A318, A319, A320 and A321. The European planemaker has delivered 2,900 A320-family planes to 187 operators.

FMI: www.silkair.com, www.airbus.com