Doric nears formal A380 order, changes name to Amedeo

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Airbus is putting the finishing touches on an order worth up to $8 billion for A380 superjumbos from Doric Lease Corp, sources close to the deal said on Tuesday, as the leasing company also prepares to change its brand.

Doric Lease Corp, which first announced a provisional order for 20 A380s at the Paris Airshow last June, told Reuters it was changing its name to "Amedeo," but declined to comment on the progress of the airplane order.

The company has said it aims to complete the deal in the first quarter as part of a strategy to become a new industry player specializing in wide-body aircraft.

Airbus sales chief John Leahy earlier told a news conference that he hoped to make an A380 order announcement during the Asia's largest aerospace event, which opened on Tuesday.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)