The European manufacturer Airbus said the US aircraft leasing and sales group Intrepid Leasing had signed a letter of intent to purchase 20 Airbus A330-200 cargo planes.

The order would carry a catalog price of 3.3 billion dollars (2.5 billion euros).

The first aircraft deliveries to Intrepid would begin in 2010. The A330-200 can carry up to 65 metric tonnes of cargo a distance of 7,400 kilometers (4,625 miles) or 70 tonnes 5,930 kilometers, according to Airbus.

In another development French Transport Minister Dominique Perben and counterparts responsible for Airbus from Germany, Britain and Spain are to hold a meeting Thursday on issues affecting the manufacturer during a 1.5-hour flight over Toulouse in southern France -- where Airbus is headquartered -- aboard the company's A380 superjumbo.

The A380, the world's largest civilian airliner, has been plagued by production problems that have delayed deliveries to key customers by roughly two years.