Page 37 - AA 2018_09
P. 37
FARNBOROUGH
replacement of these aircraft by engined next-generation counterparts. release that mentioned a 777-300ER
fuel-efficient new-generation aircraft, ‘Boeing, The gap stems from airlines’ desire freighter version, leading to
contributing to the continuous to take next-generation aircraft rather speculation that it might have plans
reduction of our unit costs.” for its part, than late-model examples of the to convert passenger versions to
Wataniya Airways of Kuwait will current-generation, although savvy freighters, corrected itself to state that
launch the E2 in the Middle East, seems to carriers with the right demand and it will purchase five 777Fs in their
and will also launch the remarkable capacity profiles can reap benefits of shorter -200LR fuselage size.
staggered business class seating, which have the the ongoing in-service performance Alongside the 777F, Boeing
provides extra space and privacy improvements that airframers have continues to offer a freighter version of
at a 51in pitch in an alternating 1-1 cargo market made since the earlier models of these the 767-300, and recently announced
offset layout, compared with the aircraft. plans to speed up production.
approximately 38in of pitch in the sewn up.’ LEVEL, the low-cost carrier from Converting passenger 767s to
classic 1-2 E-Jet business class. IAG (the parent company of British freighters is also big business, with
Rounding out the total for Embraer Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and LCC significant demand for the latter
were three E190-E1s for regional Vueling, previously long-haul low- driven by Amazon Air, formerly
aircraft specialty lessor Nordic cost but now recently expanded in Amazon Prime Air, which operates
Aviation, which already owns a further the short-haul market from Vienna), nearly three dozen freighters on lease
134 E-Jets, as well as two E175-E1s ordered two A330-200 aircraft at (including ex-Qantas aircraft).
for West African airline Mauritania Farnborough. Lessors are also keen to No news, however, was
Airways, which highlighted the snap up these jets on the cheap with forthcoming on plans to restart
importance of Africa’s growing but Dubai-based Novus Aviation Capital passenger 767 deliveries, with
still long-and-thin aviation route picking “up to four” 777-300ER much-mooted customer United
profiles to the future of the regional jet aircraft. Airlines picking up an additional four
market. Boeing, for its part, seems to have 787-9 aircraft at Farnborough.
the cargo market sewn up for its On the Airbus side of the Atlantic,
Production and bridge of widebodies strategy. It offers the 777F, essentially it’s all about transitioning from the
dominates larger end of the market a cargo version of the 777-200LR, current-generation A330ceo to the
As with the generational shift from the with ongoing discussion about re-engined A330neo, with relatively
E1 to the E2, both Airbus and Boeing opportunities for turning existing soft demand for the latter something
have similar cases to grapple with as passenger variants of its largest twinjet of a concern in Toulouse. Prior to
they seek to bridge the production DHL Express announced at into Boeing Converted Freighters, Farnborough, key customer Hawaiian
gap between their current generation Farnborough plans to purchase as it has done with the 747 among Airlines had jumped ship on the
of widebody twinjets and their re- 14 777Fs. dhl other aircraft. A notional 777-300ER A330neo in favour of the 787, and
passenger-to-freight conversion AirAsia was using the jittery nerves to
could be attractive to cargo operators its advantage in securing keen pricing
looking for more volume-focused for its 66-aircraft A330-900neo order.
operations when compared with As it happened, AirAsia signed for
today’s smaller 777F option (but at the 100 A330neos, in an announcement
expense of range). attended by co-founder and AirAsia
DHL Express announced at X group chief executive officer
Farnborough plans to purchase 14 Kamarudin Meranun and AirAsia X
777Fs, while CargoLogicHolding, chair Rafidah Aziz.
part of Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Group, “We are a tough customer but
agreed to purchase 29 Boeing 777F we get behind a product we know is
aircraft alongside five 747-8Fs for right,” AirAsia X co-group CEO Tony
Volga-Dnepr itself. Qatar Airways, Fernandes said in a statement.
after a somewhat confusing press “Our decision not only to reconfirm
our existing order for 66 A330neos,
but to add 34 more, follows what is
AirAsia has confirmed its probably one of the most thorough
long-held A330neo order, aircraft evaluations the industry
signing for 100. airbus has ever seen. We have looked at
every aspect of the A330neo from
technical performance and reliability
to passenger comfort and it is clearly
the right aircraft for us to expand
efficiently our fast-growing long-haul
network.”
Meranun, for his part, teased
worldwide expansion, explaining that
“we lobbied hard for the A330neo
after seeing the success of the
A320neo, and working closely with
Airbus, we have arrived at an aircraft
that we are confident will allow us to
expand our low fares offering beyond
Asia Pacific to the rest of the world.”
SEPTEMBER 2018 37
