Pan American World Airways is looking to build on its fleet of Boeing 737s now that it has grounded most of its Airbus A300B4s, and suspended its New York-Los Angeles flights so that it can concentrate on a north-south route network.
Pan Am found that the widebody 250-seat A300s were too costly to operate and pulled seven of the ten aircraft it operated out of service, including those inherited from the merger with Carnival Air Lines. It was able to negotiate early return of the seven A300s to Dutch lessor ING.
The airline, which will continue to operate three A300s, and Boeing 737s and 727s acquired with Carnival, has extended the leases on two of seven 737-400s leased from International Lease Finance (ILFC) to five years, beginning in March and April 1988. In October 1997, Pan Am agreed to lease three 737-300s from leasing company Air Alaska, with the aircraft joining its fleet early in 1998. The lease deal may be in jeopardy, however, as Air Alaska will not release the aircraft until it receives new aeroplanes ordered from Boeing. With no delivery date, Pan Am is talking to others about replacing the 737s.
David Banmiller, who recently replaced Martin Shugrue as Pan Am's president and chief executive, says: "The Boeing 737-400 is the aircraft of choice for Pan Am as we rationalise and modernise our fleet."
Source: Flight International
