Airbus pips Boeing to $14 billion Air Arabia jet order - Reuters

Airbus pips Boeing to $14 billion Air Arabia jet order - Reuters:

Airbus (AIR.PA) clinched a $14 billion order from Air Arabia for 120 A320 jets, beating U.S. rival Boeing Co (BA.N) after more than a year of talks between the budget carrier and the planemakers.

The order announced at the biennial Dubai Air Show would more than double Sharjah-based Air Arabia’s fleet of 55 narrowbody aircraft. The United Arab Emirates’ only listed airline wants to further expand its operations beyond the Middle East.

The deal is one of the largest narrowbody plane orders in the region. At the previous air show Boeing secured an order worth $27 billion from flydubai that included options to buy 225 Boeing 737 MAX jets, which have been grounded.

Air Arabia Chief Executive Adel Ali told reporters his carrier’s order included about 70 A320neo jets, while the rest would be A321XLR and A321neo models.