Post by vgp on Feb 28, 2009 5:50:37 GMT 12
Air NZ tries to sell surplus jumbo
By ROELAND van den BERGH - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 28 February 2009
Going cheap, one Boeing 747-400, 20 years old, offers over $10 million, seats not included.
Air New Zealand grounded the jumbo jet in November as the airline slashed capacity on its long-haul international network by 15 per cent to cope with falling demand.
Capacity would also be 14 per cent down during the April to June low season compared with the same time last year to maintain economic load levels.
This would be done through a mix of replacing Boeing 747-400 services with smaller 777-200ERs and cutting back the schedule.
But chief financial officer Rob McDonald said the prospects for selling the 747 sitting at Auckland airport "aren't huge" in a market where it joined 1000 other aircraft, expected by some to reach 3000 by the end of the year, already parked around the world.
Air New Zealand has also ordered a fifth new 777-300ER, with the first of these to arrive late next year, to replace the ageing fleet of eight 747s.
Lengthy production delays for the next generation long-haul 787-9 means these aircraft would not start arriving until early 2013, more than two years late.
Air New Zealand also received a $76 million insurance payout for the loss of its Airbus A320 which crashed off the French Mediterranean coast in November last year, with the loss of all seven crew, including five New Zealanders. Chief executive Rob Fyfe said the airline did not expect any claims for liability relating to the accident. The two-year old aircraft was on a pre-delivery test flight and operated by German charter airline XL Airways at the time of the crash.
Globally international passenger numbers slumped by 5.6 per cent in January compared with the same time in 2008.
Demand has now fallen for five consecutive months, latest figures from the International Air Transport Association show.
IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani said although fuel prices had remained well below last year's record levels, the drop in demand was much more damaging for the airline industry.
"The industry is shrinking with revenues expected to fall by US$35 billion (NZ$69b) to US$500b, delivering a loss of US$2.5b this year," Mr Bisignani said.
www.stuff.co.nz/4862821a13.html
By ROELAND van den BERGH - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 28 February 2009
Going cheap, one Boeing 747-400, 20 years old, offers over $10 million, seats not included.
Air New Zealand grounded the jumbo jet in November as the airline slashed capacity on its long-haul international network by 15 per cent to cope with falling demand.
Capacity would also be 14 per cent down during the April to June low season compared with the same time last year to maintain economic load levels.
This would be done through a mix of replacing Boeing 747-400 services with smaller 777-200ERs and cutting back the schedule.
But chief financial officer Rob McDonald said the prospects for selling the 747 sitting at Auckland airport "aren't huge" in a market where it joined 1000 other aircraft, expected by some to reach 3000 by the end of the year, already parked around the world.
Air New Zealand has also ordered a fifth new 777-300ER, with the first of these to arrive late next year, to replace the ageing fleet of eight 747s.
Lengthy production delays for the next generation long-haul 787-9 means these aircraft would not start arriving until early 2013, more than two years late.
Air New Zealand also received a $76 million insurance payout for the loss of its Airbus A320 which crashed off the French Mediterranean coast in November last year, with the loss of all seven crew, including five New Zealanders. Chief executive Rob Fyfe said the airline did not expect any claims for liability relating to the accident. The two-year old aircraft was on a pre-delivery test flight and operated by German charter airline XL Airways at the time of the crash.
Globally international passenger numbers slumped by 5.6 per cent in January compared with the same time in 2008.
Demand has now fallen for five consecutive months, latest figures from the International Air Transport Association show.
IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani said although fuel prices had remained well below last year's record levels, the drop in demand was much more damaging for the airline industry.
"The industry is shrinking with revenues expected to fall by US$35 billion (NZ$69b) to US$500b, delivering a loss of US$2.5b this year," Mr Bisignani said.
www.stuff.co.nz/4862821a13.html
