Airbus re-sells six aircraft unwanted by AirAsia.

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5 years ago

Airbus has found buyers for six aircraft of the A320neo family rejected by one of its main customers, the Malaysian AirAsia, since it works with a surplus left by the coronavirus crisis, said industry sources.

Unwanted aircraft have become emblematic of the pandemic-induced problems in the aerospace industry, adding to the coldness of the links between two of its main players.

Tensions between Airbus and AirAsia became unusually high when the manufacturer issued a call for tenders in April for six aircraft that the airline had been unable to receive.

It has now found a home for these six planes, the last of which will be delivered this month, a European industry source told Reuters.

AirAsia said in April that it would stop receiving deliveries of all Airbus aircraft this year and review the remaining orders.

Airbus has been steadily increasing deliveries, as it makes deals with airlines to reschedule deliveries or store aircraft.

The European manufacturer is seeing strong demand, relative to the rest of the industry, for its A321neo aircraft, and the aircraft has generally maintained its value, and plans to increase production of the single-aisle jets are underway.