Airbus lands 61 aircraft order, even as Boeing's 787 takes a hit
By Our Corporate Bureau | 12 Oct 2007
Marsans owns Aerolineas Argentinas and the Madrid-based Air Comet. The Spanish company said it also confirmed orders for a further 12 aircraft, in a deal worth a total of $7 billion or almost 5 billion euros.
According to a Marsans spokesman, the order comprised 4 A380s, 10 A350s, 42 A320s, 5 A330s, plus 12 A330s previously ordered in December 2006. Deliveries will be made in the period between 2008 and 2014.
Airbus confirmed the order in a statement without putting a value on the deal.
According to Marsans, "With the A380, we will become the first A380 customer and operator in Spain and South America." Marsans is currently seeking to buy Spain's second largest airline, Spanair, from Scandinavian travel group SAS.
It hopes to link Spanair with its two existing carriers to form a global operator.
Spanair has flights to destinations in Spain, North Africa and Central Europe, while Aerolineas Argentinas and Air Comet operate long distance routes.
Marsans, founded in 1910, has gone from operating buses to tour groups and hotels, and now hopes to be a major world player in the air transportation.