British Airways orders new aircraft

British Airways has announced that it has placed an order for 36 new aircraft today.

The airline has ordered 12 Airbus A380 and 24 Boeing 787 planes to be delivered between 2010 and 2014, and may order seven more A380s and 18 more 787s in the future. The new aircraft are set to replace 34 of the carrier's existing planes.

With the new fleet additions, British Airways said it will be able to offer quieter and more eco-friendly flights for passengers, as well as boosting capacity by up to four per cent every year.

"This is an exciting day for British Airways, with our largest fleet order since 1998. It's great news for our business, our customers and the environment," commented British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh.

The announcement comes shortly after the airline revealed schedule changes to take effect next summer as a result of the US-Europe open skies pact, including the launch of extra transatlantic flights from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

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