Today Airbus delivered the first A319 to Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier, at the Airbus delivery centre in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft is the first of 18 A320 Family aircraft to be integrated into the Aeroflot fleet in accordance with the deal signed in Toulouse in November 2002 in the presence of the Russian and French Prime Ministers, Mikhail Kassianov and Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Deliveries of these aircraft to Aeroflot, replacing some of the 27 Western-built aircraft, currently in service with the airline, will be completed by the end of 2004.
Aeroflot becomes the first airline in the CIS and the Baltic States to operate the A319. Powered by CFM International CFM56-5 engines, Aeroflot’s A319s and A320s will feature spacious and comfortable two-class cabin layouts seating 116 and 140 passengers respectively. This includes 20 seats in fixed business class. The airline plans to operate these aircraft on both its European and domestic network.
This delivery marks a new stage in the long and growing partnership between Airbus and Aeroflot. Aeroflot passengers will enjoy flying with the A320 Family as millions of people from all continents, and the airline will significantly benefit from the numerous advantages of these aircraft, such as reliability, family compatibility, optimal performance and passenger comfort.
Airbus’ A320 Family features the most modern design and the widest and most comfortable cabin. It is thus a firm favourite with passengers, invariably coming top in independent surveys, as well as consistently leading in financial and operator polls. It has great economics, low maintenance costs, a transcontinental range and a proven worth as an excellent financial nvestment. The best–selling Airbus A320 Family comes in four different sizes - the 107-seat 318, 124-seat A319, 150-seat A320 and 185-seat A321. All of them share the same airframe –*only the fuselage lengths are different – plus the same cockpits, systems and handling qualities, delivering unmatched commonality and savings to airlines.
Firm orders for the best-selling A320 family now exceed 3,000, more than 2,000 of which have been delivered to more than 110 operators around the world.
A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive Western product line, and a total order book for more than 4,800 aircraft, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK and Spain, as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China and Japan. In Moscow, it has a regional office, as well as technical representation providing on-the-spot airline support. The Airbus Engineering Centre ECAR established jointly with Kaskol Group has been operational in Moscow since Spring 2003.
Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE SYSTEMS.


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