Aegean Orders 12 New Airbus A320s

Last month Aegean Airlines signed an agreement for the purchase of eight new Airbus A320 passenger jets and an option for another 12. The new jets will replace present aircraft and allow the airline to extend its present domestic and international network, says the airline.

Delivery of the eight aircraft begins in 2008 and will be completed in the early part of 2009. In the meantime, Aegean says it plans to lease three A320s in the spring of next year.

According to the airline’s managing director, Theodoros Vassilakis, Aegean will consider applying for entrance to the Athens bourse provided the airline posts a profit for 2005. He also said the airline had no interest in participating in the purchase of any part of Olympic Airways.

Provisional data for 2005 shows that Aegean increased its passenger movement by 11.6% when compared with the year before. Domestic passengers carried increased by 4.4% and passengers carried on international routes increased 31.6%. Mr. Vassilakis said that revenue for the year would reach 330 million euros, which marks an 18% increase over the previous year.