Talking to equipment salesfolk looking to ride on the coat-tails of new Boeing and Airbus narrowbody orders this year I hear that about the only prospects for sizeable business are THY and Ryanair.
One old hand in the engine game tells me that even his most senior
team-members are having to Google some of the exotic places that they
are now travelling to in a desperate attempt to find some sort, any
sort, of deal.
THY, which was due to make a decision in December, and then on 19 January, is apparently happy to string things out for as long as it takes to get the pricing they want. As they're looking for 105 aircraft - about one in seven of the likely market - that's likely to be on the low side.
What the vendors are praying for is that Ryanair will go for it in 2009. Right now the Messrs O'Leary, Cawley and co are watching and waiting in the belief that things are going to get worse and prices are going south. Then the serious talking will begin.
Now Ryanair has confirmed that it's looking for 300-400 aircraft and insisting that Airbus is as viable as Boeing. (Which presumably means in turn that IAE is as viable as CFM????) The question is when will they finally strike.
Meanwhile, my contact says, his team are spending increasing amounts of time ensconsed with the company lawyers examining the small print of earlier deals as customers come back claiming all sorts of allegedly agreed get-out clauses to avoid taking aircraft they already ordered.
Still, last year some of them had their biggest ever commissions, so they should survive the recession.
Anyone think they know of any other large prospects for 2009???
THY, which was due to make a decision in December, and then on 19 January, is apparently happy to string things out for as long as it takes to get the pricing they want. As they're looking for 105 aircraft - about one in seven of the likely market - that's likely to be on the low side.
What the vendors are praying for is that Ryanair will go for it in 2009. Right now the Messrs O'Leary, Cawley and co are watching and waiting in the belief that things are going to get worse and prices are going south. Then the serious talking will begin.
Now Ryanair has confirmed that it's looking for 300-400 aircraft and insisting that Airbus is as viable as Boeing. (Which presumably means in turn that IAE is as viable as CFM????) The question is when will they finally strike.
Meanwhile, my contact says, his team are spending increasing amounts of time ensconsed with the company lawyers examining the small print of earlier deals as customers come back claiming all sorts of allegedly agreed get-out clauses to avoid taking aircraft they already ordered.
Still, last year some of them had their biggest ever commissions, so they should survive the recession.
Anyone think they know of any other large prospects for 2009???
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