2. May 2006

Airbus ACJ Family Upate

The Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) Family, which includes the A318 Elite, Airbus ACJ and A320 Prestige, continues to win success in the marketplace, with some 70 sales to date. An Update.

Based on the A319 - part of the world's most modern and successful airliner family. In addition to the A319's airframe, the Airbus ACJ Family features up to six extra fuel-tanks in the cargo hold for increased, intercontinental, range, a higher cruise altitude of 41,000 ft, and a richer specification.

Customers include companies, governments and individuals, and are based in the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Corporate customers and operators include Aero Services Executive of France, the Al Kharafi group/Twinjet of Kuwait, Blue Moon Aviation/ADI of the USA, Comlux of Switzerland, DaimlerChrysler of Germany, Eurofly of Italy, National Air Service of Saudia Arabia, PrivatAir of Switzerland, the UB Group of India, Qatar Airways and undisclosed clients.

Other customers include the Azerbaijan, Brazilian, Czech, French Italian, Thai, United Arab Emirates, Venezuelan and undisclosed governments, plus the leasing companies CIT Aerospace and SALE.

In addition to the ACJ, Airbus launched the A318 Elite last November, after an order by Swiss based Comlux. The airline operates a fleet of several business jets from its base in Zurich, mainly on services within Europe, including the CIS, and the Middle East. In addition to the three A318 Elites that it has ordered, it is also a customer for an Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ), which will be delivered this spring.

The Airbus A318 Elite is aimed at the medium-range market for flights of up to 4,000 nm range, in which it will offer greater levels of cabin comfort than currently available.

Airbus will offer the A318 Elite in partnership with Lufthansa Technik with a choice of two cabin layouts seating up to 14 and 18 passengers, respectively, with seats and settees clustered in several lounge areas throughout the cabin. Both will be able to fly non-stop from London to New York, offering true intercontinental capability.

As the youngest, as well as the smallest, member of the Airbus A320 Family, the A318 features several innovations which are being progressively introduced in the rest of the range. These include advanced manufacturing techniques such as laser-beam welding, liquid-crystal displays in the cockpit and an improved cabin-management system for lighting, in-flight entertainment and other services.

With a shorter fuselage but the same wing as the rest of the Airbus A320 Family, the A318 Elite has excellent short-field take-off and landing performance. This is being further enhanced by the certification of a steep approach capability of 5.5 degrees - especially useful at airports with noise and obstacle constraints.

Airbus still expects most demand for business jets of Airbus ACJ-size, but can now offer an even more affordable alternative for customers that are happy with a shorter cabin and less range. It continues to be driven by its customers' needs, offering a truly modern solution with full commonality across all of the Airbus ACJ Family.

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