Airbus and Guinness Peat formed a leasing firm.

Europe’s Airbus Industrie aircraft-building consortium said it formed a leasing operation with Ireland’s Guinness Peat Aviation and said the venture was immediately ordering 25 Airbus A-320 jetliners, with options for 25 more, in a deal valued at about $2 billion if all options are exercised. Airbus and Guinness Peat set up a jointly owned company called GPA Airbus 320. GPA holds a 50.5% stake, Airbus 17.5%, Pacific Western Airlines Corp. of Canada 24.5% and Banque Paribas of France 7.5%.