Airbus wins order to renew Qantas fleet -sources

(Reuters) -Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd is poised to select Europe’s Airbus for a major airplane order to renew its regional and mainline narrowbody fleets, two people familiar with the matter said.

An announcement of the two-pronged deal, which was first reported by Bloomberg News, is imminent, they said, asking not to be identified on confidential negotiations.

Airbus has been competing with Boeing Co for one of the industry’s most keenly awaited deals – described recently by the airline’s chief executive as a “once-in-a-generation” fleet renewal and expected to feature more than 100 jets.

Neither manufacturer agreed to comment.

A Qantas spokesperson said there would be an announcement in about two hours, but had no further comment.

Chief Executive Alan Joyce said in October the carrier expected to order more than 100 narrowbody and regional planes, with a preferred supplier to be chosen in December.

It is separately looking at widebodies capable of the world’s longest commercial flights from Sydney to London.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Eric M. Johnson and Jamie Freed; Editing by Diane Craft and Peter Cooney)