IN GOOD COMPANY

MEA FIRST BUYER OF NEWEST AIRBUS MODEL

iddle East Airlines (MEA) has signed a firm order for four Airbus aircraft of the new extra-long range narrow-body model A321XLR. The list price of each A321XLR plane is around $120 million, said Chairman of MEA. This model benefits from fuel cost efficiencies, he said. This deal makes MEA the ‘launch airline customer’ of the A321XLR body, which means that it is the first airline in the world to order this model. “The agreement takes Middle East Airlines’ cumulative single aisle orders with Airbus to 15 A321neo family aircraft, including 11 A321neos and four A321XLRs with deliveries starting in 2020. MEA will use the A321XLR to strengthen its network in Africa and Asia,” Airbus and MEA said in a joint statement. MEA’s existing fleet consists of 18 Airbus airplanes. The national carrier’s consolidated route network covers 1,150 destinations in 177 countries. The A321XLR was unveiled