=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/n/a/2006/03/30/financial/= f061158S15.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, March 30, 2006 (AP) Finnair Orders Nine Airbus A350 Jets (03-30) 06:11 PST PARIS, France (AP) -- Finnish airline Finnair signed firm orders for nine Airbus A350-900 jets and agreed to buy three Airbus A340-300 wide-bodied jets to serve its Asian routes, the European aircraft maker said Thursday. Financial terms weren't disclosed. At catalog prices — usually subject to discounts in practice for large orders — the 12 Finnair orders are worth over $2 billion. Finnair Oyj had already placed nonbinding orders for the nine A350s, whi= ch it is due to receive from 2012 — two years after the fuel-efficient, twin-engined plane is set to enter service, in competition with U.S. rival Boeing Co.'s 787. Airbus has 100 firm orders for the A350 and 89 nonbinding commitments. -= --------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2006 AP