Aeroflot in talks to expand A350 jet order: sources

Russia’s Aeroflot is in negotiations to conclude an expanded order for up to 28 Airbus A350 passenger jets worth $7.8b at list prices, two industry sources said. The long-awaited deal would double an order for 14 aircraft that has been on Airbus’s books for almost a decade without being fulfilled as the airline went through economic upheavals. In 2007, Russia’s biggest airline ordered 22 A350s including 14 of the baseline A350-900 version and eight of the smaller A350-800, which Airbus later withdrew due to weak demand. Also that year, Aeroflot signed a contract for 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners but later said it had cancelled the order. The deal, however, remains on Boeing’s catalogue of unfilled orders, indicating the contract has not been formally severed. One of the sources said Aeroflot was now discussing doubling the unfulfilled A350 order to 28 aircraft. Another predicted a total order for 25 airplanes.<br/>