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Bloomberg
Airbus is closing in on a deal to supply Dutch airline KLM with single-aisle jets, unseating incumbent Boeing, according to people familiar with the matter.
The planemakers are competing on an order for as many as 160 aircraft for KLM and low-cost carrier Transavia, as parent Air France-KLM refreshes the brands’ medium-haul fleets.
The contest remains in flux, with Boeing’s 737 Max still in contention for the KLM part and Transavia up for grabs, said the people, who asked not to be named with talks still under way. A decision could be reached soon, the people said. Reuters reported earlier that KLM was leaning toward the Airbus A321. No decision has been made, an Air France-KLM representative said.
Wrestling away KLM would be a coup for Airbus. The European planemaker has had only limited success snatching customers from Boeing despite two Max crashes that triggered a grounding and design revisions.