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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0576.PDF
AJJi fXAisJ£ BA eyes 777-300 to replace 747s MAX KINGSLEY JONES/LONDON BRITISH AIRWAYS is study ing a plan to expand its Boeing 777 fleet through the acquisition of the -300 stretch model in a move which would involve trading in up to 12 Boeing 747-400s. As part of its efforts to reduce capacity, BA has already phased out half its 747 Classics and replaced themwi tii 777s. The airline operates 40 Boeing 777-200/200ERs, including 29 General Electric GE90-powered models and 11 Rolls-Royce Trent equipped examples. Orders are held for a further five Trent-pow ered-2 OOERs. The 15 remaining 747-200s are due to be retired over die next 18 months, and it is understood that even after this die airline's strategy calls for the reduction of its 56- strong R-R RB211-powered 747- 400 fleet. A recent proposal to place four -400s with Virgin Atlantic was scuppered when the rival airline chose instead to acquire five new 747-400s from GE Capital Aviation Services. BA planners are believed to have identified several long-haul routes where the 350 to 370-seat 777-300 model could effectively replace die larger 747-400, and see a need for up to 10-12 aircraft. The airline has discussed a deal with Boeing and the engine manufacturers which would involve trading in a similar number of 747-400s. The plan is being complicated by BAs performance requirements, which are understood to demand a high maximum take-off weight (MTOW) version of the -300 and rule out the 300t (660,0001b) MTOW Trent-powered model. Boeing and GE have proposed the 13,330km range/ 340t MTOW 777-300ER which is equipped widi the GE90-115. This model, which is in develop ment, has greater performance than the airline requires, and would also involve BA reverting to GE for its 777 engines after switching to R-R in 1998. An alternative higher gross weight version of the baseline 777- 300 equipped with Trents has been proposed. This would feature an MTOW between the present 300t and the "700,0001b" (319t) ceiling set by the GE's 1999 exclusivity ideal with Boeing which dictates that all 777s over this weight are powered by the GE90 engine. D DHL likely bidder for VarigLog stake VARIG IS TO seek a minority partner for its VarigLog cargo operation. Bidders are likely to include DHL Worldwide Express, with which the Brazilian flag carri er is discussing a deal to distribute cargo widiin Latin America. Some 25-30% of VarigLog is likely to be sold, generating $300- 400 million for Varig's owner, FRB-Par, which has debts of $950 million. Ozires Silva, president of FRB-Par and Varig, is to present the plan to the holding company. He says six parties have come for ward as potential investors, and the sale is likely to be concluded by the third quarter. VarigLog had sales of $495 million last year, but expects a 20% improvementwith the launch of its Velog express delivery service this month. • NEWS IN BRIEF • BACKLOG ERROR Due to a production error, two of the figures published in the Airbus/Boeing 2000 deliveries and orders table were incorrect (Flight Inter national, 6-12 February, P31). The 2000 order backlog for Airbus should have read "1,626" and for the Boeing 777 "247". GE/R-R in bitter-sweet victory Rolls-Royce Trent power will propel the Qantasfleet of Airbus A3 80s GENERAL ELECTRIC and Rolls-Royce are sharing hon ours following Qantas Airways' decision to split the selection of engines for its planned new wide- body fleet between the GE CF6-80 for the Boeing 747-400LR and Airbus A3 3 0-2 00/3 00 and the R-R Trent 900 to power the A3 80-800 ultra-large aircraft. The Australian carrier is under stood to have divided the 31-air craft engine order in an effort to reduce its exposure to any single supplier. The deal represents a bit ter-sweet victory for R-R and GE, with Pratt & Whitney the only real loser from the competition. Qantas' choice of the Trent 900 for its 12 A3 80s further strength ens R-R's lead over the GE/P&W Engine Alliance in powering the ultra-large aircraft. The engine has already been selected to power the A3 80 by Singapore Airlines and Virgin Adantic, while International Lease Finance has made a tentative commitment to the Trent 900. The Engine Alliance has still to secure a launch order for a GP7200 on the A3 80, but has high hopes of winning ongoing competitions at Air France and FedEx, while Emirates is viewed as a likely R-R customer. Leasing company GE Capital Aviation Services will almost certainly opt for the GP7200 if it firms up an anticipat ed order for 10 aircraft (Flight International, 12-18 September, P6). GE will not be totally unhappy with the outcome of the Australian competition, with the selection of the CF6-80C2B5F as the launch powerplant for the new increased gross weight 747-400LR, six of which have been ordered by Qantas. The carrier has also picked the CF6-80E1 to equip its seven A3 3 0-2 00s and six larger-3 00s. a Russians expect boost from Indian certification deal RUSSIA'S AIRCRAFT manu facturers are expecting their Indian sales efforts to receive a major boost later this month with the scheduled signing of an inter governmental agreement under which the two countries will recog nise each other's aircraft certifica tion standards. The expected formal agreement follows recent meetings in Moscow and Delhi involving rep resentatives of Antonov, Ilyushin and Tupolev, their respective pro duction plants, and Indian Government officials. Novosibirsk Aviation Pro duction Association (NAPA) is responsible for manufacturing the 27-seat Antonov An-38 twin tur boprop utility aircraft, and claims to have secured letters of intent from several Indian operators for a total of around 20 aircraft. "The main problem is the absence of an Indian certificate, but with this inter-governmental agreement we have a good possibil ity to enter the Indian market," says Valery Saldaev, NAPA head of marketing. NAPA says once the An-38 has been certificated in India, it plans to open talks with local industry with regard to possible industrial co-operation. Q FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 February 2001
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