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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 0076.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT An artist's impression of the MD-87 in joint launch customer Austrian Airlines' livery. Deliveries to Austrian and Finnair will begin in 1987 European airlines launch MD-87 LONG BEACH McDonnell Douglas has officially launched its 130-seat MD-87 following orders from two European flag carriers. Finnair has signed for eight of the smaller version of the MD-80, and Austrian will accept four MD-87s. Deliveries will begin in late 1987. Both carriers operate MD- 80 series types. Finnair was joint launch customer (together with Alaska Air lines) of the MD-83, the extended range version of the MD-80 which made its public debut at Long Beach on December 17. In addition Finnair operates three MD-82s. Austrian was one of two launch customers for the MD-81, and now flies nine of the type. Finnair will put the MD-87 to work on its European and Middle East services and also on some charter work. It will receive four aircraft in 1987 and the remaining four in 1991. Austrian plans to use its MD-87s mainly on its Middle East services currently flown by 100-seat DC-9-32s. "The aircraft will enable us to perform non-stop flights into the Middle East instead of having to make intermediate stops as we do with the DC-9-32s," a spokesman said. Austrian will also utilise the aircraft on some charter flights to the Canary Islands and West and East Africa. Both airlines, as MD-80 series customers, stress that they selected the MD-87 mainly because they could save considerably on the cost of maintenance and components. McDonnell Douglas says that the high degree of commonality of the MD-87 with the MD-80 family will minimise costs for airlines which operate more than one version, through the use of the same training equipment and servicing facilities. The flight deck and flying character istics of the MD-87 are almost identical to other models and flight crews can be quickly and easily cross-qualified to operate any MD-80. McDonnell Douglas has scheduled a 33-month pro gramme to design, manu facture, flight-test, and certificate the MD-87. Douglas president James Worsham says that airlines worldwide have expressed interest in the MD-87 oper ating together with the MD-80 and revealed that new orders are likely in the next few months. The MD-87 will be powered by the new series Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines with take-off thrust levels of 20,0001b and fuel burn reduc tions of up to 2-5 per cent compared with present JT8D-217A powerplants. The MD-87 can take-off from 6,000ft runways and carry a full passenger load 4,345km. % MDC has announced an order for one MD-83 from West German charter airline Aero Lloyd for delivery in March 1986. Braniff opposes wet-lease decision DALLAS/FORT WORTH~ Braniff is appealing a Fort Worth Federal bankruptcy court decision that its joint services agreement with Northeastern, in which the Miami carrier had been sub leasing five of Braniffs 30 727s, is "in contravention and violation" of the latter's leas ing agreement with the BRNF Liquidating Trust—the owner of the aircraft. Judge Michael McConnell ruled that Braniffs agree ment with Northeastern should cease and that the carrier be "permanently enjoined from entering into identical or similar agree ments with other parties", which Braniff had been nego tiating. McConnell stated that there was no common definition of a joint services agreement in the airline industry. Northeastern president Stephen Quinto expressed his dismay at the court's decision. As a result of the ruling his airline has been forced tem porarily to give up new services from Miami to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and New York JFK, inaugurated in late November with five of Braniffs 727s. "We have relied in all good faith on Braniffs continued assurances as to the strength of their position in the legal matter concerning their right to enter into a joint services agreement with us. We are shocked and dismayed by this development and we have taken every possible step to minimise the impact of this on our passengers and employ ees," he said after the hearing.' BRNF took Braniff to court- in late December to seek a preliminary injunction block-r ing such wet lease arrange- \ ments. Braniff maintains that \ BRNF had filed the suit only > because the market for used aircraft has improved now, and it wants to reclaim the aircraft to make more money for itself. While Northeastern ack nowledges that there is noth ing to stop it leasing aircraft direct from BRNF, it claims it will be more advantageous for J Northeastern eventually to '• look for aircraft elsewhere. •* UK-US accord on fares LONDON The US Department of Justice has given the UK Government assurances that British airlines will not run,J into any anti-trust problems by offering cheaper trans atlantic winter fares effective, January 1-March 31. British Airways and British Caledonian have moved swiftly to get a new round of winter fares approved by the' UK Department of Trans port. They include a British Airways' £259 London-New' York advanced purchase fare —£40 less than the carrier's present lowest fare on the route which is just £1 above Virgin Atlantic's uncondi tional fare. BA had wanted a-< £259 Late Saver fare on the route, which can be purchased'1 in the last three days up to and including the day of departure, but this was rejected by the UK Civil. Aviation Authority. The CAA has given approval, howeverj to late-saver price cuts on tlMH 11 other US destinations BA" serves and on BCal's London- \ Los Angeles services. The UK Government origi nally blocked plans by B A and US rivals last October to cut the London-New York fare to £259 fearing that Virgin Atlantic would launch an anti-trust suit. In November President Reagan tempered the Justice Department's ardour when he ordered that it must drop its criminal anti-trust enforce ment efforts against BA and several other foreign carriers for allegedly conspiring ti' put Laker out of business FLIGHT International, 12 January 1981
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