Paris Air Show: Malaysian LCC, AirAsiaX, confirms $2.8 billion order for 15 A330 aircraft

Paris: Malaysian airline AirAsiaX, a long haul, low-cost startup, has placed a firm order with Airbus for 15 medium-sized, wide-bodied A330-300 jets. While 10 of the orders are a conversion of options into firm orders, five are additional orders. AirAsiaX chairman, Tony Fernandes, said the airline has also decided to take 10 new options for A330-300s.

The firm order for 15 planes is worth $2.8 billion at list prices.

After remarking that his airline would be interested in placing orders for the A350 XWB only after it became available after 2013, Fernandes made a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Boeing Co.'s competing 787 Dreamliner as being "a bit too small for us."

Fly Asian Express, or FAX placed the order for Airbus aircraft, which is the controlling company of airline AirAsiaX. The airline will use its A330-300s in a one-class configuration with 396 seats.

Fernandes also said that the sister short-haul concern, AirAsia, would probably be announcing additional aircraft orders at the Paris Air Show later on in the week.