AviancaTaca on Thursday firmed up a deal for 51 new Airbus jets, marking the largest aircraft order in South American history by number of planes. The deal was the culmination of a memorandum of understanding signed by the airline and Airbus at the Paris Airshow in June 2011.
The order calls for 33 A320neo jets, as well as 18 current generation A320s. Delivery dates were not announced.
AviancaTaca Holdings is the company that resulted from the 2010 merger of Colombia’s Avianca and El Salvador’s Taca. Avianca, Taca and subsidiary AeroGal will use the jets to replace older aircraft according to the company’s president, Fabio Villegas.
“With this order AviancaTaca and our subsidiaries will continue the modernization process that includes fleet renewal as its primary focus,” said Villegas, in a statement. “Our goal is to offer travelers the most comfortable and efficient aircraft in the market, and we are proud that the A320neo aircraft is recognized for its eco-efficiency and cutting-edge technology.”
With the new order, Airbus holds a backlog of 190 aircraft for AviancaTaca, ranging in size from A319s to A350s.
