Boeing to supply parts for Airbus A320 jets for British Airways

By Eric M. Johnson and Tim Hepher

LE BOURGET, France (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Monday it would supply parts for A320 jetliners made by its competitor Airbus to supply British Airways, the first such agreement by the U.S. planemaker to support an Airbus aircraft.

Under the agreement announced at the Paris Airshow, Boeing will manage and maintain a global exchange inventory of parts for Airbus' A320 and A320neo single-aisle aircraft.

The deal reflects a push by the world's largest planemaker into the higher-margin services business that includes aircraft parts and analytics, which Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg aims to grow to $50 billion in revenue in a decade.

"We were happy to put our hat in the ring and give a choice to British Airways," Boeing Global Services Chief Executive Stan Deal told reporters.

British Airways also signed a deal for three landing gear exchanges for its 777 widebody fleet, Boeing said.

Separately on Monday, Boeing signed an agreement through its subsidiary Jeppesen to provide United Airlines with analytics services to help the carrier optimize crew planning operations through its entire fleet.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson and Tim Hepher; Editing by Alexander Smith and Mark Potter)