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| British Airways orders new planes | British Airways orders new planes |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| British Airways has placed an order for 36 new aircraft - the largest the airline has made since 1998. | British Airways has placed an order for 36 new aircraft - the largest the airline has made since 1998. |
| BA will buy 12 Airbus A380 superjumbos and 24 Boeing 787s, to be delivered between 2010 and 2014, an order which has a list price of $8.2bn (£4.1bn). | |
| The group also has options to buy seven more A380s as well as a further 18 Dreamliners from Boeing. | The group also has options to buy seven more A380s as well as a further 18 Dreamliners from Boeing. |
| The new planes would be "greener, quieter and more fuel efficient" with much lower CO2 emissions, BA said. | The new planes would be "greener, quieter and more fuel efficient" with much lower CO2 emissions, BA said. |
| The new planes will replace 34 of BA's existing long-haul fleet. | The new planes will replace 34 of BA's existing long-haul fleet. |
| The carrier added that the new orders, including the options, would give it the ability to increase its capacity by 4% a year. | The carrier added that the new orders, including the options, would give it the ability to increase its capacity by 4% a year. |
| Both types of planes will be powered by Rolls Royce engines, the airline said. | Both types of planes will be powered by Rolls Royce engines, the airline said. |
| Improvements | Improvements |
| The A380 superjumbos and 787 Dreamliner planes will lead to greater efficiencies, offering "significant economic benefits with lower costs per seat", the airline said. | |
| The decision was made in the best interest of British Airways Willie Walsh, BA chief executive Check BA's share price See EADS' shares Check Boeing's shares | |
| The A380 will be used to provide more passenger spaces in key markets, particularly in flights from Heathrow. | The A380 will be used to provide more passenger spaces in key markets, particularly in flights from Heathrow. |
| Meanwhile, the 787 will be used to start new routes and increase the number of flights made. | Meanwhile, the 787 will be used to start new routes and increase the number of flights made. |
| "These new aircraft will continue our commitment to deliver the best travel experience to our customers," said BA chief executive Willie Walsh. | "These new aircraft will continue our commitment to deliver the best travel experience to our customers," said BA chief executive Willie Walsh. |
| "This order builds upon our recent investment in improving the customer experience through (Heathrow) Terminal 5, the new Club World cabin, in-flight entertainment system and ba.com." | "This order builds upon our recent investment in improving the customer experience through (Heathrow) Terminal 5, the new Club World cabin, in-flight entertainment system and ba.com." |
| While BA declined to say how much the orders were worth, it did say that it had arranged a $1.5bn debt financing facility with a group of banks to cover the order. | |
| 'No pressure' | |
| News of the deal should provide a boost to struggling Airbus - owned by European aerospace group EADS - which has been hit by costly delays to production of the A380. | |
| EADS shares rose 2% on the news in early trade on the Paris market to 21.50 euros. | |
| Mr Walsh said that his company came under no political pressure to choose either Airbus or UK firm Rolls Royce for the orders. | |
| "There was no contact [from politicians], be it formal or informal," Mr Walsh told reporters. | |
| "The decision was made in the best interest of British Airways. In the engines, the choice of Rolls Royce was because British is best." |