Indonesia’s Garuda has confirmed it is the unidentified customer for 14 Airbus A330neos — an order announced at the Singapore Airshow in February. The order, which was included in the Airbus total for the month of January for an undisclosed customer, brings the total backlog for the A330neo to 186 firm orders.
The deal was signed at a ceremony in London in the presence of the President of Indonesia, His Excellency Joko Widodo and British Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP. Rolls-Royce said it has signed an order worth $1.2 billion for Trent 7000 engines for the aircraft and TotalCare service support.
The Asia-Pacific region now represents 45% of total A330neo orders, or 64% if lessors are not included. AirAsia X is the largest customer, with firm orders for 66 aircraft, followed by Delta Air Lines (25).
The Garuda order had been indirectly confirmed when Airbus and Garuda signed a Memorandum of Partnership covering maintenance training support and “revitalisation” of the carrier’s Airbus fleet and “the suitability of the newest Airbus aircraft, the A320neo and the A330neo, in line with Garuda’s future needs”.
Airbus and GMF AeroAsia, Garuda’s maintenance and repair subsidiary, initially signed a maintenance training collaboration agreement in 2011 and have since collaborated in strategic maintenance training in Indonesia.
Garuda has already ordered the neo version of the A320. The carrier has firm orders for 33 aircraft, including 25 for its CityLink subsidiary.