AIRBUS has announced a spate of orders over the last few weeks with the largest for Air Berlin, claimed to be Germany's second largest, who has agreed to take 70 A320 aircraft, between 2005 and 2011. Ten of the 70 ”planes will go to the carrier's Austrian partner airline, Niki. Until now Air Berlin has operated with a fleet almost entirely made up of Boeing 737s. Further east in Europe Turkish Airlines, a long time Airbus customer, has signed a firm contract for the purchase of 19 A320s, 12 A321s and five A330-200s. In China Hainan Airlines, another previous sole Boeing operator, is in for eight A319s. The aircraft will be mainly deployed on medium and short haul routes, with operational bases in Beijing, Xi”an and Haikou. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery from 2005 to 2007.
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