JetBlue Airways orders 30 new Airbus A320s

New York-based low-fare carrier JetBlue Airways has ordered 30 new Airbus A320s. The new aircraft will be powered by International Aero Engines V2500s. Deliveries of the newly contracted aircraft will begin in 2006 and run through 2011.

"As the sixth largest A320 operator in the world as measured by weekly departures, we're very excited to add an additional 30 Airbus aircraft to our fleet," said David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue Airways. "We continue to see a strong demand for more flights from our loyal customer base. Today's announcement of 30 more IAE-powered A320s will help us meet that demand by providing the JetBlue experience to even more customers around the country."

"This agreement will make JetBlue our fourth largest airline customer in the world, in terms of numbers of aircraft ordered," said Noel Forgeard, Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer. "The fact that a low-fare carrier holds this stature speaks volumes of the value of the A320 Family in the low-cost sector. JetBlue continues to be a leader in the recovery and strengthening of the U.S. market, and we are proud to be a partner in their success."

All JetBlue A320s offer passengers single-class accommodations of 156 all-leather seats, each equipped with 24 channels of DIRECTV programming.