AirAsia X Inks Deal to Buy 50 Airbus Planes

Long-haul budget airline AirAsia X has inked a deal to buy 50 Airbus A330neo planes as part of its regional expansion.

The deal, signed at the Farnborough Airshow in London, is worth $13.8 billion at the catalog price but airlines usually get a discount for bulk purchases.

Malaysian-based AirAsia X said in a statement late Tuesday that deliveries will take place between 2018 and 2024. It is the first customer for the newly launched neo, a new version of the wide body A330, that offers lower fuel consumption and extended long range capability.

The AirAsia group is one of Airbus's largest airline customers in the world, with 536 Airbus aircraft, excluding the new deal.

AirAsia X, launched in late 2007, flies to 14 destinations in Asia, Australia and the Middle East.