British Air to Buy 31 Boeing Airliners

British Airways ordered 31 Boeing airliners today, ending an intense battle between the Seattle plane manufacturer and the European Airbus consortium for a package totaling $1.8 billion.

A spokesman for British Airways said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for 24 short-haul 737s, six medium-range 767-300s and one short- to medium-range Boeing 757.