The device might lead to a 4 percent fuel saving and could be fitted to an existing airplane, said David Venz, an Airbus spokesman.

An Airbus spokesman also said Canadian Airlines had expressed interest in 17 more A320's, over and above those on option.

'Gordon was held in the highest regard,' said an Airbus spokesman.

"The Indian authorities took the decision to ground the fleet of A320's, but they appear to have done that without any justification," said an Airbus spokesman.

Robert Metzger, an Airbus spokesman, declined to comment on the negotiations, but said the average price it received for the aircraft was $35 million.

An Airbus spokesman would not comment on the estimates but said after the heavy outlay to build new aircraft, prospects looked good for the consortium.

Pratt & Whitney executives said politics swayed the decision, though an Airbus spokesman said "the engine selection was purely commercial."

"It is a campaign that clearly has a political aspect," said Alan Dupiech, an Airbus spokesman.

"There was no collusion whatsoever," said an Airbus spokesman in Toulouse, France, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"That said, we respect their need to address capacity growth," an Airbus spokesman, David Voskuhl, said.