U.S.-based Northwest Airlines, a unit ofNWA Inc &lt;NWA>, has ordered up to 20 of the European Airbus
Industrie &lt;AINP.PA> consortium's planned A340 long-range jets,
with an option on a further 10 A330 medium-range jets, in a
deal worth more than 2.5 billion dlrs, Airbus said in a
statement.
    The contract gives Airbus its first launch customer in the
lucrative U.S. Market for its long-range jet programme.
    Last month Airbus announced it had a total of 104
commitments from nine customers for the planes. A spokeswoman
confirmed today's order was in addition to those commitments.
    Airbus has been competing with McDonnell Douglas Corp &lt;MD>
in the long-range jet market since the U.S. Group formally
launched its MD-11 plane program at the end of 1986. McDonnell
Douglas has won over 100 orders and options for the aircraft.
    The Northwest order comes after the airline ordered 10
short-range A320 Airbus jets, with options on a further 90,
last October, giving Airbus a foothold in the U.S. Market.
    European governments, asked to fund 2.5 to three billion
dlrs of the Airbus A330/340 programs, have said there may not
be room in the world aircraft market for Airbus's jets.
 Reuter
