Airbus Celebrates Corporate Jetliner Delivery to Venezuela

Astronaut Patrick Baudry puts on a spirited show at FIDAE in the Airbus ACJ.

The Airbus Corporate Jetliner is appearing at FIDAE for the first time in celebration of its first sales victory in Latin America--to Venezuela for head-of-state transportation.

Other sales campaigns are actively under way in Central and South America with governments, corporations and wealthy individuals, an Airbus spokesman said. He noted the aircraft's good hot-and-high performance with its standard engines makes it ideal for South America, where many airports are at high elevations and airplanes want to leave with full fuel for maximum range.

The Airbus ACJ has an interior cabin 78 feet long. It will fly 6,100 nautical miles and costs $45 million. Sales stand at more than 30 aircraft.