NEW YORK (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus (PA:AIR) has won a deal to sell three A380 superjumbo jets to Japan's biggest carrier ANA Holdings Inc (T:9202) in a deal valued at about 150 billion yen ($1.25 billion), the Nikkei reported.
The planes are to be introduced in fiscal 2018 in routes to Hawaii and elsewhere, the paper said.
Orders for Airbus A380s have dried up in recent years reflecting a fundamental shift in the industry towards smaller, twin-engine planes that cost less to fly than four-engine jumbos. Airbus's A380 typically carries 544 passengers, according to the company's web site.
In November, Boeing Co (N:BA) said it had booked two firm orders for its 747-8 jumbo jet, ending what was shaping up to be a second year without net new purchases of the iconic four-engine plane.
Airbus's efforts to sell the A380 suffered a setback in 2014 when it cancelled a $2 billion contract with Japanese discount carrier Skymark Airlines Inc
On Wednesday, Airbus said it has pushed back the delivery of its first A320neo aircraft to the start of 2016, missing a goal to hand over the revamped version of the jet to its initial customer by the end of 2015.
(In Jan 1 item, this version of the story corrects number of passengers A380 can carry in paragraph three)