CSA Czech Airlines aims to announce its choice of a 70/80-seat regional jet at next month's Paris air show.
The selection has come down to the Bombardier CRJ700 and the Embraer ERJ-170, as the BAE Avro RJX and Fairchild Dornier 728 have been eliminated. The 728's availability is too late to meet CSA's 2003 in-service requirement, while the airfield performance of the RJX is not needed by the central European carrier.
Roman Lokaj, CSA's strategic-planning senior manager, says that the airline is looking for extra capacity to serve European secondary hubs. The new jets would complement the existing fleet of two Airbus A310s, ten 108-passenger Boeing 737-500s, and nine 144-seat -400s, plus five ATR 42 and five ATR 72 twin-turboprops.
CSA expects to place firm orders for eight aircraft to enter service during 2003-6, says Lokaj. The aircraft must have "a two-plus-two business-class section matching the cabin interior of the 737".
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft has placed an Avro RJ with an unnamed Middle Eastern operator, believed to be Oman Air or Gulf Air. Four remaining planned Avro RJs have yet to find buyers.Source: Flight International
