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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 2447.PDF
MMMMrMnBIKHS Varig picks GE90-powered 777 in $2.9 million fleet expansion VARIG OF BRAZIL has com mitted to a major fleet expan sion, with orders and options for up to 39 Boeing 737s, 767s and 777s worth an estimated $2.9 billion. An announcement confirming the deal is expected at die show. The most significant element is the selection of four 777-200ERs, with four options. The order, which was won after stiff competi tion with the Airbus A3 40, also rep resents a much needed contract for General Electric, which will supply its GE90 turbofan to power the fleet. The 777s are expected to be delivered from 2001 onwards. Although Boeing and GE, which has also been selected for the other aircraft on order, decline to comment on the deal, the entire package is estimated to be worth almost $2 billion in firm orders and around $990 million in options. The engine maker's share is esti mated ataround $500 million. The order also includes six firm CF6-80C2-powered 767-300ERs. These will be used to replace McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s from 1999 onwards and follows a pattern already established with the current fleet of 10 767s, six of which are -300ERs. The airline is still thought to be interested in the 767-400ER, although the early delivery dates for the latest pur chase suggest that this option is not being considered at present. A large part of the deal is a fur ther purchase of Next Generation 737s, to add to the earlier order announced last year. The latest deal includes 10 firm 7 3 7 -800s and four firm -700s, with options on a further 11. Under an earlier arrangement, Varig converted its existing order for 14737-300sinto a mix of-700s and -800s. The first five -700s were expected to be delivered some time during 1999, with five -800s following in 2000. If all orders and options are exer cised, Varig's total Next Gener ation fleet is likely to number about 39, some seven more than the number the airline predicted in 1997. The new batch of 737s ordered in this deal are expected to be delivered from 2000. • Falcon 2000: the French-built business jet is to be added to the Netjets European programme Netjets Europe set to expand with Falcon 2000 purchase EXECUTIVE JET is set to announce a major new order during the show for the Dassault Falcon 2000 business jet for its Netjets Europe fractional owner ship programme. The deal will mark the second Falcon 2 000 order in 10 months for Executive Jet and its first acquisi tion since July, when the world's largest fractional ownership com pany was snapped up for $725 mil lion by investor Warren Buffett. Although neither party will disclose the number of aircraft involved, it is likely to be in double figures. In December 1997, Executive Jet ordered 24 Falcon 2 000s for the company's US fractional owner ship programme. At that time chairman and founder Richard Santulli revealed that his Montvale, New Jersey-based com pany may buy up to eight Dassault aircraft annually over the next "four, five or six years". Santulli, who has been holding discussions with the French manu facturer for several months about Falcon 2000s for Netjets Europe, has also not ruled out the possibili ty of introducing Falcon 50 and 900 models to the European pro gramme. Netjets Europe, a joint venture between Executive Jet, Zimex Aviation of Switzerland and Air Luxor of Portugal, already operates three Cessna Citation SIIs, two Citation Ills and two Citation VIIs. According to Ex ecutive Jet, its worldwide Netjets fleet totals 100 aircraft, and a fur ther 160 are on order. The company is also expected to announce at the show an order for an undisclosed number of Ray theon Hawker 800XP medium range business jets for its US and European programmes. Netjets is already a large purchaser of Raytheon aircraft. • Python gets a grip on US missile alliance LOCKHEED MARTIN has confirmed that its programme to collaborate on further moderni sation of the Israeli Rafael Python 4 will mark its entry into the air-to- air missile business as a US com petitor to Raytheon, which now has a monopoly on supply to the US services (FlightInternational, 2- 8 September). The current talks will determine how the weapon will be further enhanced, and how me work will be divided, said Lockheed Martin's David Lundquist, talking to Flight biternationalbefore the showstarted. "Obvious areas for modernisa tion include the electronics pack age and potentially the seeker," he adds. Hardware and software development is subject to further negotiation, but Lundquist says he expects to see the improved weapon flight tested in Israel. Lockheed Martin does not envi sion building a large quantity of the existing missile in the USA. The production split for the updated weapon has yet to be determined, and "...it is very possible that we will deliver the product from Israel and the USA", Lundquist says. A joint venture allows both sides "...to split the costs and risks and, hopefully, claim larger, important markets", says Eli Yitzhak, presi dent of Rafael USA. • NEWS IN BRIEF • TCAS FOR QANTAS Qantas and National Jet Sys tem have selected the Rock well Collins Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance system (TCAS 2) for their regional aircraft fleets. Qantas affiliate carriers Sunstate Airlines, Southern Australia Airlines and Eastern Australian Airlines will fit the TDR-94D mode S system to their four Shorts SD3-60s and 15 Bombardier Dash 8-100/200s from September. National Jet will install the TCAS-94 to its nine Dash 8s and 20 BAe Avro 1467RJ70s from December. Kendell Airlines and Hazelton Airlines are to decide soon. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 9 • 15 September 1998
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