Airbus, Qatar Airways finalize 6.5 billion $ order

Airbus on Tuesday clinched a deal with Qatar Airways for the purchase of 50 A320 Neo medium-range planes and five A380 superjets, hours after the airline said it had suspended negotiations with Airbus because of "technical differences.", dpa reported. France-based Airbus announced the deal, which has a catalogue value of 6.5 billion dollars, at the Dubai Airshow. "The A320 Neo promises to be a great aircraft, which is why we have chosen it to form the backbone of our future single-aisle expansion," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker was quoted in the Airbus statement as saying. The Dubai show has seen intense jostling for business between Airbus and its US arch-rival Boeing.