by Daniel Rook
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 20 (AFP) - Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates has ordered 24 Airbus aircraft, including four of the superjumbo A380 models, and has taken an option on 12 additional planes for a total value of seven billion dollars, Airbus officials said here Tuesday.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif al-Nahyan, chairman of Etihad Airways, and Airbus president and chief executive Noel Forgeard at the Farnborough Air Show near London.
In addition to the four A380s, the deal includes four A340-600s, four A340-500s and 12 A330-200s, bringing the value of firm intentions to an estimated 4.5 billion dollars, Airbus said in a statement.
Deliveries of the A330-200 and A340-500 planes will begin in 2006 and the A340-600s and the A380s in 2007, according to Airbus.
Etihad Airways said in a statement that the type of aircraft covered by the 12 additional options had not yet been decided.
The deal gave a significant boost to Airbus on the second day of the Farnborough Air Show, where Boeing took centre stage on Monday with a deal with Dubai's Emirates for four 777-300ER aircraft and options on nine more in a deal worth 2.96 billion dollars at list prices.
Airbus is owned 80 percent by the European consortium EADS and 20 percent by Britain's BAE Systems.
Sheikh Ahmed said his airline was considering using the new Airbus A380 superjumbo, which seats 550, on routes to China, the rest of Asia and Europe.
"We have, for over a year now, been in intensive discussions about our future craft needs with both Boeing and Airbus in which we considered a whole range of aircraft types," he said in a statement.
"We believe that the Airbus range of aircraft offers us the best option for both guest satisfaction and the future growth of the airline."
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, currently operates a fleet of six aircraft, including four Airbus A330-200s and one A340-300.
Etihad, which means "union" in Arabic, was launched in November and is fully owned by the oil-rich government of Abu Dhabi, the largest of seven emirates making up the UAE federation.
"I cannot recall a time in airline history when a start-up operation, barely eight months old, has had the confidence, resources and ambition to place orders for three dozen new wide bodied aircraft with a combined value of over seven billion dollars," said Sheikh Ahmed.
"If you think the last eight months have been busy for us, this is nothing compared to what the coming months and years have in store. Just watch this space -- it's going to be an exciting journey."
Forgeard said Airbus was "extremely happy to see how the new Abu Dhabi Etihad is establishing itself in the market".
"In less than one year, Etihad has attained an enviable reputation as one of the most respected airlines in the region," he said.