NRC to Bolster European Aircraft Industry
National Reserve Corporation (NRC) agreed with Airbus to buy twenty A320 and A321 planes. The aircraft will go to German Blue Winds and, perhaps, to an airline that NRC is setting up in Russia.
Past Friday, the Swiss subsidiary of NRC, Alpstream AG, German Blue Wings (where NRC bought out 49 percent in late June) and Airbus agreed on the purchase of twenty A320 and A321 planes in time of Farnborough International Airshow 2006.
It is yet the declaration of intention, NRC General Director Anatoly Danilitsky pointed out, while a firm contract is slated for signing on September 29. The actual number of planes could be a bit more or a bit less than 20.
The deliveries will begin in 2009 to complete in 2011. Alpstream will own the planes but transfer them to Blue Wings in the next move. Some planes might go to a new airline, which NRC intends to create in Russia before late this year, Danilitsky specified.
In view of the catalog value of the aircraft, the deal budget could be around €1.4 billion, according to the European analysts. But the agreement has been made in time of significant decline in Airbus sales. “The terms of the deal were very advantageous for NRC,” Danilitsky specified. It could be €1 billion, or even less, the sources close to the company estimated.