ISLAMABAD - Airblue, Pakistan’s largest private sector airline announced Saturday that it has completed an agreement to expand its fleet by leasing two Airbus A340-300 aircraft from Los Angeles based International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC).

“The addition of these wide-body Airbus A340 aircraft to our current fleet of single-aisle Airbus A320 family aircraft is great news for Airblue; it is part of our expansion plan to provide additional service to our international destinations and open up new markets, says a press release.
These aircraft will be deployed on long-haul routes, allowing us to continue providing quality service while proudly representing Pakistan worldwide,” said Tariq Chaudhary, Chairman and CEO of Airblue.
The aircraft will have an all Economy configuration of 342 seats and will be equipped with CFM engines.
The induction of the 4-engined Airbus A340 aircraft is a major step for aviation in Pakistan and represents the first time that a private sector airline has inducted modern wide-body aircraft into its fleet. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in late August this year.
The Airbus A340 aircraft has crew commonality with the Airbus A320 aircraft providing for greater efficiencies; and the extension of the Airbus operating and maintenance philosophy allows single-aisle and wide body aircraft to be operated with standardized procedures.