International Lease Interested in A3XX Jets

Los Angeles-based International Lease Finance Corp. confirmed its interest in buying five of Airbus Industrie’s planned A3XX superjumbo jetliners. In a statement released by Airbus, International Lease President Steven Udvar-Hazy was quoted as saying the A3XX “will become the flagship of the 21st century” and “will introduce new standards in operational efficiency, passenger comfort, range and environmental friendliness.” A top Airbus executive had said earlier this week that the lessor wanted to be among the initial buyers of the 550-seat A3XX, which would be the first jetliner larger than Boeing Co.’s 747. While Hazy confirmed the release as accurate, he cautioned that International Lease hasn’t made a firm order. “We signed a letter showing interest in the aircraft and requesting more information,” he said in an interview. Once the Airbus board authorizes the plane maker to make formal sales offers, it could take at least a year of detailed negotiations before any agreement is reached, Hazy said. “It’s very much in a preliminary stage,” he said. It isn’t clear whether the Airbus supervisory board will approve sales of the plane at a meeting in Berlin today, as had been expected. International Lease, a unit of American International Group Inc., is the world’s largest aircraft lessor based on the value of its fleet. It has bought almost 1,000 planes from Boeing and Airbus, ranking as the largest buyer of new jetliners over the last 20 years.