Airbus ACJ wins first US-based customer

Airbus has won its first US-based client with the conclusion of a firm contract with a Florida-based customer for one Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ).

The Airbus ACJ will be powered by CFM International CFM56-5 engines. A choice of cabin outfitter has yet to be made.

Airbus' ACJ Family has the widest, tallest and most voluminous cabin of any business jet, providing the best possible space in which to travel. It offers twice the cabin-width and three times the volume of traditional top-of-the-line business jets.

The Airbus ACJ Family features by far the most modern design of any top-of-the-line business jet. It comes with many standard features - such as fuel-saving wingtip-fences, fly-by-wire controls and category 3B autoland capability - which either cost more or are unavailable on other aircraft.

And like the Airbus A319, from which it is derived, the Airbus ACJ Family benefits from unmatched cockpit commonality with all other Airbus passenger aircraft being produced today. The Airbus ACJ Family's heritage also means that it enjoys high reliability, plus cost-saving centralised maintenance and extended check-intervals.

The Airbus ACJ aircraft will provide intercontinental range being equipped with five tanks. Outward-opening cargo doors allow rapid loading and removal of these tanks to suit the needs of each mission.

More than 50 Airbus ACJ Family aircraft have been ordered by customers in Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Middle East.

Airbus ACJ deliveries this year will total nine aircraft, of which seven are already delivered. Four completion centres - Associated Air Center in Texas, Jet Aviation in Basle, Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg and EADS Sogerma in Toulouse - are involved in the cabin outfitting of this growing programme.

Total sales of the Airbus A320 Family stand at more than 3,700 with almost 200 customers and operators.

Airbus is an EADS joint company with BAE Systems.

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