Airbus breaks Boeing’s Japan monopoly with orders for six A380s
18 Feb 2011
Tokyo: Breaking rival Boeing's near-monopoly in the Japanese market, French aircraft manufacturer Airbus has secured a firm contract for six A380s from domestic carrier Skymark Airlines. The contract includes options for a further two superjumbos.
Skymark now becomes the first Japanese carrier to order the double-decker superjumbos.
Low-cost carrier Skymark competes in the domestic Japanese market with Japan's two dominant carriers, Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). It expressed its intention to pick up the A380s last year and the deal is likely to coast it in the region of $2.8 billion.
"Skymark Airlines Inc signed a firm contract with Airbus SAS for purchase of Airbus A380s on Thursday" in Toulouse, France, where Airbus is headquartered, the Japanese carrier said in a statement.
The airline ordered six A380s, including two on an optional basis, it said.