Lufthansa Confirms 35 Plane Airbus Order

Lufthansa has signed a contract for 35 new aircraft from Airbus, confirming a September announcement, the pan-European plane maker said last week.

The order is for five A319s, ten A320s and 15 A321s, as well as five long range A330s, the statement said. The agreement also includes options for a further 30 A320 family aircraft.

Confirmation of the order comes as Airbus, whose parent company EADS faces a crisis caused by delays to its flagship A380 super jumbo project.

Lufthansa said earlier this month it had been informed by Airbus of a one-year delay in the delivery of the A380.

A Lufthansa spokesman said at the time that Airbus had notified the company that the first A380 could be delivered only in the summer of 2009.

Lufthansa has ordered a total of 15 of the 555-seat A380s. Lufthansa said it would compensate for the delay with the help of the A330s ordered in September.