Photo: ReutersChicago/Dallas/London: Airbus SE is nearing one of the biggest deals in aviation history, negotiating to sell 430 aircraft valued at more than $40 billion to US airline investor Indigo Partners, people familiar with the matter said. The transaction would give Airbus the upper hand at the Dubai Air Show, where it has been trailing Boeing Co. in orders. For Indigo Partners, led by Bill Franke, the Airbus deal would provide upgraded single-aisle jetliners to boost the fleets of ultra-low-cost carriers from Denver to Budapest. Franke, 80, co-founded Indigo Partners in 2002 and was an early proponent and key backer of the ultra-low-cost carrier model, which offers bargain fares and no-frills service. The move allowed Franke’s firm to purchase Frontier out of bankruptcy and convert it to an ultra discounter.

Source: Mint November 15, 2017 01:07 UTC