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Qantas set for Airbus buy?
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November 15, 2000: 7:37 a.m. ET
Australian airline may order superjumbos, other jets in $3.5B Airbus order
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LONDON (CNNfn) - Australian airline Qantas Airways Ltd. may be about to deal a blow to plane maker Boeing Co. by ordering 18 jets from the U.S. company's rival Airbus Industrie in a deal valued at $3.5 billion, which would include a dozen 555-seat A3XX superjumbos, according to a published report Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal said if the order is approved, Qantas will become the second operator of Boeing planes in the Asia-Pacific region to choose Airbus' A3XX rather than the an enlarged version of the U.S. manufacturer's 747 jumbo jet.
 Excluding any order from Qantas, Airbus has 32 firm orders for its super jumbo. The A3XX, which will cost about $230 million each, is still on the drawing board and will cost $12 billion to develop. The first delivery is not expected until 2006.
Singapore Airlines Ltd., Asia's most profitable carrier, in September ordered 10 A3XX's and has an option for another 15 aircraft.
The European plane maker has said it needs 50 firm orders before finally deciding to put the A3XX into production. Airbus is now targeting Deutsche Lufthansa AG (FLHA) and Virgin Atlantic Airways, which is 49 percent owned by Singapore Airlines.
Boeing has not yet announced any orders for its planned 747X, which would carry between 440 and 520 passengers and cost some $4 billion to develop. 
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