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Aviation History
1979
1979 - 1711.PDF
FLIGHT International, 19 May 1979 1637 Air Fransp rt Two Concordes, A310s and 20 new routes in B.CAL package BRITISH Caledonian plans to take into its fleet two Concordes and up to six Airbus A310s, and will intro duce a new network to 20 European cities with fare cuts of 40 per cent. B.CAL's plans, as previously an nounced, encompassed only one Con corde. But Flight understands that route surveys, carried out by the air line under the direction of former BA Concorde director Gordon David son, have indicated that it will be more cost-effective to operate two rather than one on routes to Atlanta and Houston, in the US, and to Lagos, in West Africa, and in the longer term to South America. Flight also understands that the second B.CAL B.CAL chairman Adam Thomson: "Fresh thinking and radical changes" needed for European air trans port Concorde could come from the Aerospatiale fac tory in Toulouse. A new plan by the independent airline along these lines is now almost complete and will be put to Britain's new Conservative ad ministration with in the next few days. At the same time, discussions will continue with British Air ways about the maintenance of the supersonic fleet. BA has been trying to strike a hard bargain on rates, but B.CAL is holding out and is just as likely to have its maintenance done by Air France in Paris, which would be very little extra flying time from Gatwick. The French have been "very co operative" in negotiations so far, according to one B.CAL executive. B.CAL's order for A310s will be for an initial three, costing £50 million, plus three more on option, but will depend on the successful conclusion of a deal currently being worked out. Airbus has offered to deliver the first three aircraft in February, March and April 1984, and in the meantime to supply A300s. B.CAL says that it is considering this offer, and a possible purchase of Boeing 767s. But it seems virtually certain that it will be the European rather than the US aircraft which will enter its fleet. Engines will inevitably be General Electric CF6-80s. The B.CAL DC-10 fleet uses GE engines, and the produc tion line of the Caledonian Airmotive factory at Prestwick is being estab lished primarily to service GE engines. B.CAL chairman Adam Thomson has made it clear that the fleet re- equipment programme will go ahead whether or not the airline receives permission for its routes and fares package. The airline has to replace its One-Elevens and 707s, he says, and in the meantime it is likely to buy up to five second-hand One-Elevens to fill the gap before the A310s arrive. "Air transport in Europe needs fresh thinking and radical changes," says Thomson. In pursuance of this ideal, his airline is applying to the Civil Aviation Authority for permis sion to open new routes to 20 new European destinations — Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne - Bonn, Stuttgart, Vienna, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Marseilles, Athens, Rome, Milan, Turin, Oslo, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Zurich and Geneva. The case will be heard by the CAA possibly in September and, anticipat ing opposition, Mr Thomson com ments: "I would be surprised if British Airways welcomes our proposals." On each route the airline will offer fares with 40 per cent reductions on the normal economy rates. An effort will also be made to introduce similar rates between Gatwick and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Artist's impression shows Airbus Industrie A3I0 in B.CAL livery. R.CAL is negotiating for three A3IOs plus spares worth £50 million, with a further three on option. It is also looking for up to five used One-Elevens to fill the gap until A3IOs arrive in early 1984 Air Canada orders TriStar 500s AIR Canada's board of directors has approved the purchase of six Lock heed TriStar 500s and the placing of options on another nine. The order for six will be worth about £125 million and forms part of the airline's current ten-year fleet renewal pro gramme, on which Can$3,500 million (about £1,500 million) is being spent. Air Canada's -500s will all be delivered in 1981. Those on option will probably follow in 1983/85. Canada's flag carrier will receive the definitive version of the -500, with active controls and Rolls-Royce RB.211-524B4 engines. Rolls says that the Air Canada order will be worth more than £110 million for engines alone, if all the options are taken up. Air Canada will use its TriStar 500s, fitted with 244 seats, mainly on long- haul transatlantic routes. The next item in Air Canada's re- equipment programme is a 200-seater medium-haul aircraft. This order is being fought for by Boeing, with the 767, and Airbus, with its A310. Earlier reports that the 767 had been selected were premature and Airbus remains a strong contender. The Canadian Government wants the winning manu facturer to provide industrial offsets, which would complicate the decision for Air Canada. Neither Boeing nor Airbus will comment on this, but Canadair is already a 767 subcontrac tor, being responsible for the fuselage tailcone.
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