TACA, first airline in Latin America to operate the A321

TACA, one of the most important airlines in Latin America, took delivery today of its first A321, becoming the first operator of the type in Latin America. TACA placed an additional order for 14 Single Aisle Airbus aircraft of which five A321s at the end of 2004.

TACA was also the first operator of the A319 and A320 in the Latin American region. With this new delivery TACA will operate a total of 35 Airbus aircraft (nine A319s, 25 A320s, and one A321) serving the whole American Continent from Canada in the North to Argentina and Chile in the South. This highlights the A320 Family flexibility and efficiency to operate in very different and demanding environments.

"The Airbus A320 Family is for us the ideal mix in terms of performance, reliability, flexibility, great economics whilst providing our passengers an attractive and unique travel experience at an affordable price" said Roberto Kriete, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TACA. "With the A321, we look forward to making another major step in unit cost reduction, which will further sharpen our competitive edge."

"With the arrival of the new A321, TACA will be able to take full benefit of the commonality concept of the A320 Family, which has become the preferred choice of airlines around the world," said Gustav Humbert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus.

TACA's A321, seating up to 194 passengers in a two-class configuration, will offer the lowest operating costs per seat in its class and will join the 120 seat A319s and 150 seat A320s.

All of the Airbus A320 Family, comprising the A318, A319, A320 and the A321, feature the Same Type Rating, allowing pilots to fly all of them after attending only one training course. This exceptional degree of commonality amongst all types also enables the same team of mechanics to maintain the aircraft. All this leads to important cost-savings in training and provide the airlines with an unmatched level of operational flexibility.

A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, 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. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE Systems.

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