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Up to 36 Single-Aisles to Evolve Airline into All-Airbus Fleet

Herndon, VA - Following a commitment announced in October 1999, Frontier Airlines has signed a firm order for 11 Airbus Industrie single-aisle aircraft, including six A319s and five A318s. In addition, the airline plans to lease 15 A319s from General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and one A318 from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). The package also provides Frontier with options to purchase a further nine A320 Family aircraft from Airbus Industrie. This order solidifies the airline's plans to phase out its current 737 fleet with all Airbus single-aisles.

"We believe that choosing the A320 Family will provide a superior aircraft for our customers and long-term stability for our employees," said Frontier President Sam Addoms. "The economy and comfort of Airbus single-aisle aircraft are unmatched, and we look forward to sharing those advances with our passengers as we grow in the new century."

"Frontier is part of a new breed of customer for us," said Noël Forgeard, Airbus Industrie's Chief Executive Officer. "It is a low-fare airline turning to Airbus Industrie aircraft because they offer unbeatable cost-efficiency and give passengers more room than any competing plane. Those two factors will provide the best of all worlds for airlines eager to please both their passengers and investors."

Frontier's A319s will seat 132 passengers in a single class and will be equipped with CFM-56 engines from CFM International. The airline's A318 engine choice is the PW6000 from Pratt & Whitney. The Frontier A318s will accommodate 114 passengers. In both aircraft types, customers will enjoy a generous 32-inch seat pitch, plus the additional 7.5 inches of cabin width offered by the Airbus A320 Family over competing aircraft. Deliveries of Frontier's new Airbus aircraft will begin in June 2001.

There are over 120 customers and operators of the A320 Family, which is made up of the A318, A319, the 150-seat A320 and the 185-seat A321. Total firm orders for the A320 Family now stand at more than 2340 aircraft, nearly 1200 of which have been delivered, leaving an order backlog of nearly 1200.
March 14, 2000
Source: Airbus Industrie
Contact: Mary Anne Greczyn 703-834-3458