Airbus nearing deal to sell A220 jets to Poland's LOT, sources say
PARIS, June 13 (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab is nearing a deal to sell A220 passenger jets to Polish carrier LOT after a hard-fought contest with Brazilian planemaker Embraer (EMBR3.SA), opens new tab, industry sources said on Friday.
Barring a last-minute shift in the negotiations, a deal for a few dozen of the Airbus regional jets could be finalised as early as Monday's opening of the Paris Airshow they added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We do not comment on rumours," an Airbus spokesperson said.
LOT and Embraer also declined to comment.
Poland has been looking for up to 80 or more regional jets, about half of which would be purchase options, to expand and build its Central Communication Port by the early 2030s while also growing its central Warsaw Chopin airport hub.
The purchase of the planes would help fuel that expansion, LOT Chief Executive Michal Fijol has told Polish media.
The competition has attracted strong political attention as Warsaw weighs its economic and political alliances amid concerns about support from the U.S., a major defence supplier, according to European aviation and defence sources.
Poland's pro-European coalition government won a vote of confidence on Wednesday, an outcome that Prime Minister Donald Tusk hopes will give his cabinet new momentum after it was shaken by a setback in the presidential election.
In May, France and Poland signed a treaty to increase cooperation on defence, nuclear energy and other measures, in a sign of growing alliances between European nations.
In a series of overlapping civil and defence discussions, Airbus is also aiming to supply A400M transporters and A330 MRTT tankers.
Embraer has expressed interest in supplying its KC-390 airlifter to Poland, offering to open an assembly line there.
The head of Embraer's commercial division, Arjan Meijer, said in a recent Polish newspaper interview that the company's E2 jet was the best choice for LOT from an airline perspective.
Poland is one of the few hubs in Europe with space to build out its airport infrastructure, but government-sponsored plans for such an expansion have dragged for years.
National carrier LOT has struggled to compete with budget carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air for market share.
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