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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 2117.PDF
yizADLmzz CFMI scoops second slot on A318 PAUL LEWIS/WASHINGTON DC CFM INTERNATIONAL has secured a position as the second powerplant supplier on the new Airbus A318 after Air France selected the CFM56-5A/B over the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 launch engine. The French Government is believed to have stepped in with financial assistance to ensure a place on the A318 for the Franco- American engine in which Snecma is joint venture partner. CFMI negotiations with Airbus Industrie had stalled over the issue of under writing the cost of certifying the CFM56 on the new 100-seater derivative ofthe A320. Air France has ordered 15 A318s and has options on 10 aircraft. Despite a strong push by P&W to keep CFMI off the aircraft, Air France opted for the engine to ensure commonality with its large existing fleet of over 80 CFM56-5- powered A319/A320/A32 Is. Aside from Air France, the bulk of the 109 orders have been for PW6000-powered A318s, which include launch customers Egypt- air, International Lease Finance and TWA. Two other carriers have made loose commitments to order die aircraft. Air China plans to go for the PW6000-powered A318 as a trade-in deal on PW4000-pow- ered Boeing 747s, while Lufthansa is undecided. • USAF is convinced it needs the F-22: Congress is less sure following Kosovo US Air Force fights for F-22 funding after Congress shock THE US AIR Force has acted to justify its need for a stealthy air superiority fighter in the light of its Kosovo experience after being surprised by a Congressional move to delay the Lockheed Martin/ Boeing F-22 Raptor. A key Congressional subcom mittee proposed that funds for the first six production F-22s be cut from the fiscal year 2000 defence budget, freeing $1.8 billion for the USAF to spend on shoring up its overstretched operations. A House Appropriations Com mittee vote to adopt the proposal was scheduled as Flight Inter- nationalv/ent to press, with propo nents ofthe cut predicting success. But chances of the delay being approved by the full Congress are limited, as three of the four com mittees handling the budget have fully funded the F-2 2. House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee chairman Jerry Lewis says a pause in F-22 procure ment would allow the USAF to reassess its need for the fighter. He proposes spending the $1.8 billion on pilot retention and additional Boeing F-15s, Lockheed Martin F-16s and KC-130J tankers and Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint- STARS surveillance aircraft. The USAF says a pause in the programme would extend devel opment by 15 months. Deve lopment cost would be increased by $ 1.2 billion and production cost by $5.3 billion. The resulting two- year delay in F-22 initial opera tional capability, to December 2007, would force it to extend the service life of a wing of 72 FT 5s, incurring additional cost. Although it admits to being overstretched by Kosovo opera tions and acknowledges there was little air-to-air action, the USAF says it requires the F-22 to ensure air dominance from 2010. • 777 operators object to GE as sole supplier A GROWING NUMBER of Boeing 777 operators are sig naling displeasure over the selec tion of General Electric as die sole source powerplant supplier for the 777X, as potential launch cus tomers receive offers of die ultra-long-range derivative. United Airlines has made its dis approval known by unveiling an order for more Pratt & Whitey PW4090 engines to power nine additional 777-200ERs for deliv ery between next July and March 2002. The "dollar for dollar swap" deal in exchange for seven 747- 400s orders increases the carrier's 777 orderbook to 61 aircraft. According to airline and manu facturer sources the timing of die $235 million engine sale an nouncement, widiin days of Boe ing concluding an exclusivity deal for the GE90-115B on the 777X, "was not coincidental." United has refrained from publicly criticising the arrangement, but senior sources have privately expressed annoyance. Sources within American Airlines, a Rolls-Royce Trent 800- powered 777 operator and a long time supporter of a longer-range derivative, suggest that die GE deal "frees us up" from the commit ment to buying an all-Boeing fleet to look at "other possibilities." British Airways, a launch cus tomer for the GE90-powered 777, last year switched allegiance to R-R. The airline has 25 GE90- powered 777s in service and four more on order, but will receive the first of 16 R-R Trent-powered air craft early next year. Sources with in B A saythatdieairlinehasnotyet formulated a view on the likely impact ofthe exclusivity deal on its own fleet planning strategy, but the airline will hold meetings with GE, R-R and Boeing to discuss die implications. Cathay Pacific, which operates 10 R-R Trent powered 777- 2 00/3 00s and is studying the ultra- long-range derivatives, says GE's exclusive deal "was not welcome". Tony Tyler, Cathay's corporate development director, says that "it is not a decision we were happy with...GE has got quite a lot of work to do to prove to airline cus tomers that it can provide a suc cessful engine. The GE90 is not as good as the Rolls-Royce Trent 800, which has performed well". Boeing, in the meantime, has begun extending 777-200X and -300X offers to potential launch customers, including an offer of 2 0 to International Lease Finance and an unknown number to All Nippon Airways. The latter airline is a PW4000- powered 777 operator and has indicated that it wants to see an engine competition. Boeing aims to launch the programme by the end of the year, at which point, if there is still no commercial go- ahead, its agreement with GE will have to be renewed. • 4 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 21 - 27 July 1999
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