AirAsia could sign major deal to buy A320 aircraft soon

BARCELONA, May 22 (Reuters): AirAsia could sign a major deal to buy revamped Airbus A320 aircraft soon, its chief executive told the agency Saturday. "If a deal is going to be done, it will be imminent, I think," said AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes , speaking to Reuters between qualifying sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he runs the Team Lotus, his Formula One racing team. AirAsia has been in talks to buy the A320neo, a revamped version of Airbus' best-selling, medium-haul A320 passenger jet due to enter service in late 2015. AirAsia said in February it was considering buying as many as 175 of the A320neo, as well as wide-body A330s. Fernandes' comments just weeks ahead of the Paris air show suggest the purchase could cover some 200 aircraft, a potentially record deal worth some $16 billion at list prices. Speaking to Reuters in the Team Lotus motor home, Fernandes said talks with Airbus were progressing. "It's been a big week for AirAsia, nothing's been firmed but things are progressing and being close to France enabled me to progress things," Fernandes said. "It's very important that the next generation of aircraft, if we do a deal, is sorted soon rather than later." The A320neo boasts 15 percent fuel savings due mainly to new engines from either United Technologies unit Pratt & Whitney or CFM International, co-owned by General Electric and Safran .