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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 0542.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Qantas talks with Cathay break down PAUL PHELAN/CAIRNS TALKS HAVE broken down between Cathay Pacific and Qantas over the Australian carrier's plans to acquire up to five RB.211- 524D4-powered Boeing 747-200s, with airline sources confirming that the carrier expects to consider a wider range of options in the wake of the Asian downturn. These aircraft include new- Boeing 747-400s, 767s or 777s, likely to be available as airlines try to shed orders. The move comes as Qantas and its rival, Ansett Australia, under take a series of route consolidations and capacity reshuffles to take account of the downturn in Asia. Qantas, which recently an nounced that it would phase out the four Airbus A300B4s it oper ates on Australian domestic ser vices over the coming IB months, still wants to recover the 747-200 it Qantas'fleet of ex-Australia n Airlines Airbus A300B4s is to be sold has on lease to Air Pacific, which is due to be returned at the beginning of August, although they could be subject to a one year extension. Return of the aircraft would in turn put Air Pacific back in the'market for an RB.211-powered 747, but Qantas says that no decision on lease extension has yet been made. Also of strategic interest to Qantas is the fillingof Asia-Europe demand, which the carrier believes is likely to heighten as Asian air lines default on air service agree ment commitments between Australia and the UK. Any Qantas fleet regrouping will probably focus on putting further capacity pressure on Ansett, now- seeking to cut costs on marginal sen ices, while it contemplates a radical review- of its regional and route development strategies. Signalling that it expects a drop in aircraft use, Ansett now wants to shed at least four 747 captains on secondment to Singapore Airlines and four Boeing 737 crews to Aer I.ingus-owned crewing and engi neering support agency PARC! International. The Irish agency is seeking pilots tor leave of absence assignment to Sterling European Airways of Copenhagen. "We have spare capacity because we've stopped operations to South Korea," says Ansett. "We're look ing at going into Shanghai, where there is reasonable growth. We're cutting flying, and looking at dif ferent ways to deploy capacity." Cathay Pacific is now believed to be close to a deal with Virgin Atlantic for two of the 747-200s, and Virgin has also been negotiating with Air New Zealand for at least one aircraft, which is understood to be for onward lease to Air Pacific. 3 Visit Where Aerospace Professionals Do Business 3ES Days a Year! \ffM^ Presented by Kallman Associates and Online Expos, Inc. 20 Harrison Avenue, Waldwick, NJ 07463 Tel: 201.652.7070 • Fax: 201.652.3898 Sales Office: 617.578.9860 Fax: 617.375.6753 e-mail: sales@airshow-online.com JNJLJKJ: • Expos wuuvu.online-expos.com 16 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 18 - 24 March 1998
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