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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 1143.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT Bigger ideas for CRJ700 Bombardier is planning to offer two baseline versions of the newly announced CRJ700 Series 705 as an enlarged 75- seat counter to the Embraer 170/175 family. It is aimed at potential operators looking to optimise the size of regional jets allowed under some new scope clause agreements, and for carri ers wanting to offer a larger dual-class cabin. The Series 705 is essentially based on the CRJ900, which has a longer 36.4m (119ft 5in) fuse lage. There are two variants - a baseline 74-seat aircraft with a single-class configuration certifi cated to a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 36,100kg (79,500lb), and the 705 ER seat ing 75 in a two-class layout and certificated at 37,460kg MTOW. US Airways is launch cus tomer for the latter version, which will be configured with a nine- seat, three-abreast business class in a 38in (96cm) pitch and a 66-seat, four-abreast economy section with a 31 in pitch. This compares with the more conven tionally configured CRJ900 seating either 86 or, with the rear luggage bulkhead pushed back, 90 in single-class with a 31 in pitch, and the shorter CRJ700 which can accommodate 70 pas sengers in single class or 6/58 in two-class. For carriers like US Airways, which has a 76-seat and 37,460kg MTOW scope clause ceiling, the Series 705 offers bet ter-optimised seat-mile economics than the CRJ700. Similarly, Embraer has sought to better exploit its new 170 design by stretching the 70-seat aircraft to the 175 to accommodate up to two extra seat rows. The aircraft is also intended to improve the CRJ700/900's com petitiveness in Europe, where airlines demand a more comfort able two-class cabin than that typically specified by US regional carriers. "We think this configura tion offers an interesting opportunity for use by other air lines," says Bombardier president Pierre Beaudoin. WORKSHARE BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE Japanese manufacturers chase larger share of 7E7 Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi aim to exceed 21% national share of 777 programme Japan's three major aerospace com panies are preparing a joint proposal to participate in the Boeing 7E7 pro gramme and are lobbying for a larger workshare than they have in existing aircraft projects. Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have begun meet ing through the Japanese Aircraft Industries (JAI) association to dis cuss their potential role in the 7E7. Japanese industry officials say all three companies have also begun talks with Boeing as part of a com petition the US company is holding among potential 7E7 suppliers. JAI is seeking to better the 21% work share Japanese firms achieved in the 777. The companies also build a significant share of the 767. Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi repre sentatives are meeting informally to determine which components each will pursue. By co-ordinating their effort through JAI, the companies hope to avoid competing against each other for any component. JAI is instead focused on beating rival proposals from several European and US companies, including Alenia, AHF-Docommun, Fischer Advanced Composite Components, Fokker Services and GKN Aerospace Services. Boeing plans to determine a work allocation later this year. "I'm sure there will be a significant Asian presence," says Boeing 7E7 programme vice-president Mike Bair. JAI also co-ordinated Japanese participation in the now-defunct Sonic Cruiser programme, including the signing of advanced technology and risk-sharing agreements. Japan ese manufacturers have expressed willingness to be risk-sharing part ners on the 7E7 and believe they can help Boeing meet its goal of improving per-seat fuel burn by 20% compared with the 777. Japanese companies have seen their stake in Boeing programmes steadily increase from 15% in the 767 to 21% in the 777. Historically, Japanese carriers have chosen Boeing over Airbus by a ratio of roughly 4:1, and All Nippon Airways' order last month for about 45 737s could further bolster JAI's lobbying efforts. COMPETITION EMMA KELLY / PERTH Qantas, ANZ in new bid for alliance Virgin Blue is demanding that ANZ sell its Freedom Air subsidiary Qantas and Air New Zealand (ANZ) have sought to address anti-compet itive concerns, particularly on trans- Tasman routes, in their latest bid to win approval for their alliance. But the partners' new undertak ings, submitted to the Australian Competition and Consumer Com mission (ACCC) after the body's rejection of their original proposal, fall short of Virgin Blue's demand for ANZ to sell its Freedom Air sub sidiary to allow Virgin Blue to com pete in the trans-Tasman market. "The divestiture of Freedom Air should be made a condition of the authorisation becoming effective," says Virgin Blue, which is seen as the only viable new entrant in the trans-Tasman market, and would be interested in purchasing the ANZ subsidiary. "There are no structural undertakings - they are all behav ioural, which are hard to enforce," says David Huttner, Virgin Blue's head of strategy. Qantas and ANZ say selling Freedom Air would be "commer cially difficult" because it is an inte gral part of ANZ's operations, with ANZ guaranteeing its aircraft leases, undertaking administrative func tions and sharing labour agreements. Instead, the partners say they will alter schedules on trans-Tasman routes and provide access for a new entrant to slots, gates, counter facili ties, line maintenance services and ground-handling services at airports including Auckland, Christchurch and Sydney for five years. The partners will not increase capacity on the routes for the first 18 months and for three years Freedom Air will operate across the Tasman only from secondary New Zealand airports. The partners will also lease up to four Boeing 737- 300s to the new entrant. To address consumer concerns, the partners have committed to a five-year price cap across the Tas man, and propose new services, connecting Auckland with Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, and Well ington-Canberra, with freight ser vices to Auckland and Christchurch. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20-26 MAY 2003 9
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