YEMENIA SOLIDIFIES AIRBUS DEAL

SANA'A, Jan. 21 (Saba) - The Yemenia Airlines has finalized an Airbus contract to buy ten A320 planes, two months after the deal was initially signed in the United Arab Emirates.

The airlines said in a statement that the deal was signed for $ 700 million with the Airbus Firm for 10 A320 aircraft that would be delivered in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

The deal comes within the Yemenia's plans to expand flight destinations including to those in China and India, according to the Dubai-based director of the Yemeni National Airlines Muneer Jahoosh.

The deal was initially signed in November at the Dubai Airshow and was finalized a day after UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that his country was suspending direct flights to Yemen within tough security measures aimed at boosting national security.

FR