COLIN BAKER / LONDON
UK low-cost operator buzz is looking to increase the number of sectors flown by its aircraft as hoped-for fleet upgrades have so far failed to materialise.
Buzz is dropping its London Stansted-Vienna service, partly due to low yields as the level of business traffic fell well below expectations, but also due to the need to wet-lease one of its BAe 146s to parent KLM uk. The latter needs the aircraft as it begins a phase out of its Fokker 50 fleet this winter.
When it launched back in January 2000, buzz was confident that its eight 146s and two Boeing 737-300s would be upgraded to an all-737 fleet. The 737 has become the aircraft of choice for low-cost operators.
However, commercial director Tony Camacho says: "There are no concrete plans for this at the moment." The leases on the 146s will begin to terminate in 2003, although buzz should be able to renew these if no fleet replacement order is in place by that stage. Camacho says the Airbus 320 family would be considered as well as the 737. Buzz's summer schedule for 2002 will be heavily influenced by whether it gets the go-ahead for a fleet upgrade. Management is looking at various ways to increase productivity by flying more sectors with the current fleet.
Buzz's future has been the subject of speculation over the past year as some observers have doubted KLM's long-term commitment to the carrier and have seen the fleet and wage structure inherited from KLMuk as a handicap.
Source: Airline Business
