GE Commercial Aviation Services, the world's largest aircraft lessor, has agreed to buy 30 Boeing 737s in an order worth about USD$2 billion at list prices, the companies said on Wednesday.
GECAS placed firm orders for 30 of the planes -- to be delivered from 2008 to 2010. It also took options to buy another 30, the companies said in a joint press release.
The order was the latest in a series of Boeing 737 purchases by GECAS, which has been enjoying strong demand for the planes in emerging markets like China and India.
"It is a very popular aircraft model and we quickly leased all of the planes we ordered last year, so we needed more to satisfy our customers' demand," GECAS Chief Executive Henry Hubschman said in a statement.
GECAS ordered 26 of the planes last year and identified itself as the buyer of another 12 which had been ordered in 2004.
Separately on Wednesday, Chile's dominant carrier LAN Airlines said it would buy three Boeing 767-300 aircraft for USD$270 million, for delivery in 2007 and 2008.
