UNITED GROWS AIRBUS FLEET WITH NEW ORDER

Building on its success with the Airbus A320 Family, Chicago-based United Airlines has ordered an additional A320 and two A319 aircraft, all of which will be powered by International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants. All three aircraft are slated for delivery in the second quarter of 2003. Currently operating a fleet of more than 100 Airbus aircraft with a firm order backlog of over 80 more, United Airlines is the largest airline customer in the world for Airbus in terms of aircraft orders.

“The North American region continues to be one of our most successful markets,” said Noël Forgeard, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “Every time a customer as influential as United places a repeat order for Airbus aircraft, it points to the fact that our airliners provide what the airlines want and passengers demand: reliability, economy and comfort.”

There are currently more than 2500 Airbus aircraft in service worldwide, including some 1500 A320 Family aircraft. The best-selling A320 Family is comprised of the A318 (107 seats in a standard two-class layout), A319 (124 seats), A320 (150 seats), and A321 (185 seats). All four aircraft share the highest degree of commonality and economy, offering many advantages for operators, such as reduced maintenance and training costs. In addition, the optimized cabin cross-section has set a new standard for passenger comfort in single-aisle aircraft, allowing for wider seats and aisles.

This latest order from United is indicative of the growing number of Airbus aircraft in service in the United States and Canada. For example, in 1996, Airbus delivered an average of one aircraft per month to a North American customer. Today, Airbus is delivering an average of two aircraft per week to its North American customers. The firm-order backlog for Airbus customers in North America is just under 1,000 aircraft.

Offering the most modern and comprehensive airliner family in the world, Airbus is the joint number one manufacturer in the market for large commercial aircraft. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is jointly owned by BAE SYSTEMS (20 percent) and EADS (80 percent).