Mcdonnell Douglas Lands Big Jet Order

ValuJet Airlines announced Thursday it would buy 50 MD-95s, the new 100-seat airliner McDonnell Douglas is anxious to start building.

The order, which includes options for 50 more planes, is valued at $1 billion, officials said, and marks a victory for McDonnell Douglas over European rival Airbus Industrie.

St. Louis-based McDonnell Douglas already had lined up most of its major supplier partners for the MD-95 but was holding off launching the aircraft until it got a big order.

The purchase marks a switch for ValuJet, which has been buying cheaper used DC-9 jets. With the supply of old DC-9s shrinking and prices for new aircraft falling, ValuJet figured it would do better with the new jets that stand to be cheaper to maintain and operate.

Just two years old, ValuJet has been growing from its Atlanta base and now serves 26 airports.