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Aviation History
1987
1987 - 0066.PDF
WORLD NEWS Northwest orders A340 despite SuperFan delay TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie has admitted that the International Aero Engines' V.2500SF SuperFan cannot be ready to power a 1992 A340. But, almost in the same breath, Airbus has come up with a major additional order for the type and a new engine which it promises for 1992. Airbus president Jean Pierson told Flight in Toulouse this week that the new power unit will deliver an A340 with the same direct operating costs (DOCs) as would the SuperFan. Major US international carrier Northwest Airlines, which already has a flexible acquisition agreement with Airbus for 100 A320s, has now signed an agreement with the European manufacturing consortium to purchase up to 20 A340s and has placed options on ten A330s; the latter two types will come from the same production line, with a considerable commonality of major parts and equipment. Northwest has not specified engine types yet for any of its Airbus orders. But since its A340 order specifies that eight of the aircraft are to be deliv ered between 1992 and 1993 (SuperFan may not be ready until 1994), manufacturer and airline are talking about the new 30,6001b-thrust Snecma/General Electric CFM56-5-S3, which has now been formally promised for 1992 operation. Pierson says that the new CFM will offer SuperFan- level DOCs because it will be cheaper to buy and maintain, lighter, and more reliable, thus offsetting SuperFan's advantage of higher fuel efficiency. There were indi cations earlier this week that the IAE board was "considering the position" of its SuperFan engine. Airbus is now gathering pace in the run-up to another fence on the A340 launch track, partner commitment. France's Aerospatiale is effectively on board, West Germany looks as if it has no choice but to join, and British Aerospace has been handed (by Northwest) a new whip to beat backing loan money out of the British Government above the £400 million already offered. Asked by Flight whether the Northwest order will affect Government stalling over the demanded £700 million, a Department of Trade and Industry spokes man said that all additional signs of commercial success for the project were "a part of the package required to bring the deal up to scratch". Airbus has given April 14 as the deadline for partner financial commitment. Following the eight A340 deliveries during 1992/93, the Northwest ' order specifies seven in 1994, and the final five in 1995. A flexibility clause in the order agreement permits up to half of the A340s to be changed to A330 orders, given at least three years' notice. If Northwest confirms the type breakdown later than April 30 next year it will suffer penalties "relating to delivery terms rather than price," according to Airbus. Northwest has not yet specified the A340 marque— the extra-long-range 262-seat -200, or the long-range 295-seater -300. The A330 is a medium/long-range 286-328 seater. Northwest's medium/long- range widebody fleet cur rently consists of Boeing 747s and DC-10-40s, and it has ten 747-400s on order. The airline gives as reasons for needing aircraft of the A340 size and performance the need to replace the older mid/long- range aircraft, the wish to operate services not viable with current types, and the wish to increase frequency on 747 routes. Chinook offered as EH.101 rolls out YEOVIL Westland would build one- third of all future Chinook helicopters for the Royal Air Force if it accepts an offer made by manufacturer Boeing Vertol. The offer came on the eve of rollout of the first Agusta- Westland EH.101 helicopter, and is worth 12,500 manhours per aircraft, according to Boeing Vertol. Orders for at least ten addi tional RAF Chinooks could be announced by the UK Minis try of Defence as part of its long-term helicopter procure ment plan. This plan is widely expected to include a number of utility EH. 101s to replace RAF Puma and Wessex heli copters, in addition to the naval EH.101s already plan- US major carrier Northwest Airlines has announced its order for Airbus Industrie A340s, and has placed options on A330s. The A330 order seems likely to be confirmed, because up to half of the A340 orders are convertible to A330 orders given three years' notice. These fleet decisions make Northwest the first US carrier to place orders for the A340 and the first airline to go public with any official kind of commitment to the A330 ned for the Royal Navy, but these would not enter service until the early 1990s. To alleviate Westland's near-term order shortage, Defence Secretary George Younger was expected to announce at the EH.101 roll out on April 7 an interim order for 12 Sea King and 16 Lynx helicopters. Despite this, the company is expected to announce up to 2,000 redundancies. Westland would then assemble, equip, flight-test, and deliver the helicopters to the RAF. This business would be in addition to existing Chinook offset work placed with UK industry, which currently totals $116 million against an original $90 million commitment. 9 Unconfirmed reports indi cate that the rescue package for Westland might be accom panied by a British Govern ment decision to pull out of the European NH.90 helicop ter programme. Garuda loses DC-9 JAKARTA A Garuda Indonesia DC-9 crashed at Polonia Airport, Medan, Northern Sumatra at 1440hr local time on April 4. An Indonesian official says there was a heavy rainstorm at the time of the crash, which killed 27 of the 37 passengers and one of eight crew- members. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 11 April 1987
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