By Tim Hepher, Allison Lampert and Kylie Madry
PARIS/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Airbus is in advanced talks over a major new order from Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus, industry sources said on Sunday.
The number of new narrowbody planes being discussed ran into triple digits, meaning at least 100, the sources added, declining to go into more detail.
Airbus declined to comment.
“We currently have an ongoing order of A321neo with Airbus with deliveries until 2027,” a spokesperson for Viva Aerobus said.
“Whilst Viva is a leading and growing ULCC in the Americas, we have not signed any new order with any (manufacturer).”
The Mexican carrier has long been a battleground in the fight for markets between Airbus and arch-rival Boeing.
In 2013, it defected from Boeing to Airbus with an order worth up to $4 billion for 40 Airbus A320-family jets after a bitterly fought contest between the two plane giants.
With the Paris Airshow looming this week, it has become a flashpoint once again as Boeing sought to win the airline back, but Airbus is favoured to win again this time, the sources said.
The deal could be announced at the June 19-25 event but a deal is not guaranteed pending further talks, they added.
(This story has been corrected to fix the air show date to June from July in paragraph 8)
(Reporting by Tim Hepher and Allison Lampert; Editing by Andrew Heavens; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Mark Potter)
