Al Jaber Aviation Orders Two Airbus A318 Elites

Released on Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Al Jaber Aviation, a member of the Al Jaber Group, has placed a firm order for two Airbus A318 Elites and has signed a letter of interest for two Airbus A380s.

"The letter of interest for the A380 is very preliminary at the present time," says John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers. "But we trust that it could result in a new A380 VIP customer over the next few months."

Al Jaber Aviation is the first company to purchase the Airbus A318 Elite in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The aircraft will be powered by CFM International CFM56-5B9/P engines. Al Jaber Group is one of the largest groups of companies in the UAE, and is a major player in shipping, road transport, construction, manufacturing and logistics, and has a workforce in excess of 40,000.

The Airbus A318 Elite is the newest member of the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) Family, introducing new levels of spaciousness and comfort to VIP travellers that are unmatched by any other aircraft in its class.

It is offered in two versions seating either 14 or 18 passengers, with a common cabin created by specialist cabin-outfitter Lufthansa Technik. Its cabin features separate lounge areas with comfortable seating clustered around tables, as well as a private office that doubles as a private bedroom with ensuite bathroom.

"We see a growing need in the region for private aviation services for the high-end market, including families and business delegations, for which the spacious Airbus A318 Elite is a perfect solution" says Al Jaber Group Chairman Obeid Al Jaber. "The widely spaced cabin zones and ease of movement around the cabin provided by the Airbus A318 Elite are unmatched by anything in its category," he adds.

The Airbus A318 Elite flies effortlessly from anywhere in the Middle East to Europe and North Africa, has the range to fly from London and Paris to New York, and is equally at home flying within continents such as North America and Asia.

"It is always very satisfying to see customers such as the Al Jaber Group benefiting from the Airbus advantage that we deliver in corporate jets," comments John Leahy, "and if the success of our many other customers is anything to go by, we will be playing our part in its successful growth for many years to come."

Airbus launched the A318 Elite in autumn 2005, and delivered the first outfitted aircraft in May this year. The A318 Elite has proved an increasingly popular member of the Airbus ACJ Family, which recently passed the milestone of 100 sales.

Airbus corporate jet customers also enjoy an excellent operational reliability of better than 99.9 per cent, as well as all of the benefits that an all-modern aircraft design brings.

They also benefit from the same comprehensive product support as airline customers, as well as extra services that recognise their special needs.