Airbus says it has secured an agreement with United Airlines to tweak its original order for A350 jets.
Earlier this year, United had indefinitely deferred the first phase of its order for 35 A350-1000 aircraft but has now agreed to convert that to 45 of the cheaper A350-900 jetliners.
The order is valued at about $14 billion before discounts.
Deliveries will begin in 2022.
The smaller jets are a ‘better fit and size for the United network,’ it said.
It was an important win for Airbus which has seen Delta Air Lines and American defer orders or postpone deliveries of the A350.
"For the past year, United has done a complete review to ensure that we have the right long-term fleet strategy," said Andrew Levy, United’s chief financial officer.
"It was clear that the A350 aligns with our replacement needs and our network."
