MIKE MARTIN
It was a case of 20-20 vision on the part of Brazilian carrier TAM when it announced its intention to buy 40 aircraft - 20 Airbus A318s and 20 Embraer ERJ 190-200s.
At what is a first for an airshow, the chiefs of Airbus and Embraer sat flanking TAM president and chairman Rolim Adolfo Amaro who said he had signed letters of intent for 20 aircraft of each type.
The aircraft will be used to replace Fokker 100 aircraft, 50 of which are operated by TAM on domestic routes. Embraer is confident that it is the first wave of a much bigger deal involving up to 100 aircraft with a price tag of £3 billion ($4.5 billion). Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, TAM would have the flexibility to convert to other Embraer models, including the 70-seat ERJ-170. It also has the opportunity to convert options to the as-yet-unlaunched 98-seat ERJ-100. It would make TAM the launch customer for the type.
Amaro explained the decision to split the requirement two ways because of the wide range of operating conditions TAM encounters.
TAM will eventually operate a fleet of more than 150 Airbus aircraft, the largest in Latin America and, with three other types, will benefit from the cockpit commonality, said Amaro.
Operational
"Our selection of the A318 will ease operational planning for TAM, thanks to the aircraft¹s flight commonality with the A319, A320 and A330 which we already operate," he said. "Airbus' unique family concept means that pilots can transition from each of these aircraft to any other with only minimal additional training while spares commonality greatly facilitates maintenance, and this in turn reduces our operating costs."
Source: Flight Daily News
