Airbus delivers the 5,000th A320 airliner »

By Leandro Maldonado
20 January 2012

Five grants ! On 20 January 2012, the 5,000th single aisle twinjet airliner of the Airbus A320 family is seen retracting its landing gear after taking off from Hamburg Finkenwerder airport, Germany, prior to delivery to Middle East Airlines in Beirut, Lebanon. © Airbus

Finkenwerder, Germany, 20 January 2012 — Airbus delivered today the A320 with manufacturer serial number (MSN) 5000 to Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA). The aircraft was delivered from Airbus in Hamburg, Germany and is powered by International Aero Engines V2500 engines.

MSN5000 completes the deliveries of MEA's total order for seven A320s. It marks a significant milestone for Airbus and the A320 Family going into 2012, as production rises from 38 to 40 per month during the first quarter of the year, and orders for the new A320neo reaffirm Airbus' single-aisle family of twin jet airliners as the most modern, fuel efficient in their category. MEA operates one of the most modern fleets in the region with four A330-200s, six A321 and including MSN5000, now seven A320 aircraft.

"We are honoured to become the operator of this brand new A320 with its distinctive serial number 5000 during the 25th anniversary year of the first flight of the A320 said MEA Chairman- Director General, Mohamad El Hout. "Since we first acquired an A320 Family aircraft in 2003, we have not only benefited from the outstanding operational efficiency of the aircraft but were also the first airline in the Middle East to introduce our wide-body cabin product on a single-aisle aircraft, thus offering our customers state of the art on-board entertainment with Audio/Video On Demand as well as a superbly comfortable and spacious cabin experience that has greatly contributed to MEA's success."

"Handing MSN5000 over to MEA is a real pleasure for Airbus. The Lebanese flag carrier has shown great courage maintaining its operations in the face of difficulty," said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO. "It's only natural that we pay tribute to MEA's outstanding determination and recognise their unfailing loyalty with this landmark delivery. We look forward to seeing MEA continue to thrive and grow their network with our modern, fuel efficient Airbus family."

Close to 8,300 A320 aircraft have already been ordered by more than 350 customers and operators worldwide reaffirming the aircraft's position as the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.

	Close-up on the brand-new Middle-East Airlines A320 with its distinctive serial number 5000 marking the 25th anniversary year of the first flight of the A320 and the hand-out of A320 MSN 5000 to MEA Chairman and Director General, Mohamad El Hout at Airbus Finkenwerder plant in Hamburg, Germany, on 20 January 2012. © Airbus

Source: Airbus

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