New aircraft for British Airways

British Airways has announced the placing of an order for a number of new short-haul aircraft.

The airline has requested eight Airbus A320 family aircraft, which will be delivered between 2008 and 2010. Currently, it owns a short-haul fleet consisting of 67 Airbus aircraft.

British Airways said that the order represents the first stage of its move towards a single short-haul fleet throughout its network, with plans to order replacement aircraft for Gatwick, in addition to its Heathrow planes, in place for later this year.

"Gatwick is an important part of our short-haul strategy and replacing the older Boeing 737 fleet with Airbus aircraft will give us flexibility across both airports," commented Willie Walsh, chief executive of the carrier.

The airline today announced a 3.4 per cent rise in sales for the last financial year. Mr Walsh said that it has "made progress" at Gatwick and is set to invest in a brand new first class cabin in the near future.

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