IAG airline group in advanced fleet talks -sources

Airlines group IAG is in advanced talks with planemakers on a medium-haul fleet shake-up that may see the British Airways parent opt for Boeing and Airbus jets to update a European fleet of Airbus narrowbodies, industry sources said. IAG stunned the industry nearly three years ago when it unveiled a tentative order worth $24 billion at list prices for 200 Boeing 737 MAX at the Paris Airshow in 2019, at a time when the jet was grounded worldwide in the wake of two fatal crashes. The global outbreak of COVID-19 early the following year caused that deal - intended as a show of confidence in troubled Boeing by then IAG boss Willie Walsh - to lapse, and the airline group later started a formal contest between Boeing and Airbus. The sources said Boeing looked likely to keep a slimmed-down version of the order, potentially involving closer to 50 jets than the original blockbuster quantity of 200. The multi-national airline group also owns narrowbody operators Aer Lingus of Ireland and Spain's Iberia and Vueling. If a deal is confirmed in ongoing negotiations, Boeing's MAX is seen most likely to be deployed at Vueling and future low-cost operations at London Gatwick. IAG also has options to order additional Airbus narrowbody aircraft, inherited from earlier purchases. But firming up new Airbus orders has hit a hurdle as the European planemaker struggles to find available production slots after taking a lead over Boeing in the market for single-aisle jets.<br/>