Air Transport

Airbus favourite as US sanctions could foil Boeing effort

Syrian Arab Airlines is preparing to replace its ageing Boeing 747 fleet with new Airbus or Boeing aircraft as well as complete the renewal of its short-haul types. The airline plans to release a tender to renew its fleet within weeks, covering the purchase of seven new aircraft.

The Damascus-based flag carrier plans to introduce three widebodies and four medium-haul narrowbodies to replace part of its ageing fleet. Speaking to Flight International at last week's Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) conference in Jordan, Syrian Arab Airlines chairman Nachaat Numir said: "We've almost finished the specifications for what we need. The idea is to buy seven new aircraft. We're going to place the tender on the market, probably in the next couple of weeks."

Syrian Arab Airlines is planning to phase out its half-a-dozen 727-200Advs and two 747SPs. The carrier also operates six Airbus A320s.

The airline sees the widebody choice as being between the Airbus A330/A340 and Boeing 777. Its policy is to purchase the aircraft.

Numir says the airline "wishes for competition between different companies" during the tender process and, despite US sanctions against Syria, is open to a response from Boeing. But he admits that, given the political situation, Airbus will inevitably have a strong advantage.

Syrian Arab Airlines is looking at taking delivery of the new fleet towards the end of 2005, although Numir says that the phasing out of its older fleet would probably not start for a couple of years beyond that date.

DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW / AMMAN