Post by corsair67 on Oct 30, 2006 10:25:04 GMT 12
Wow, this is a bold decision! 
Qantas boosts superjumbo order by eight
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
October 30, 2006.
QANTAS has taken advantage of the problems at European manufacturer Airbus to lift its A380 fleet by eight of the giant planes in a 12-aircraft order with a sticker value of nearly $3billion.
The upgrade of the airline's A380 fleet from 12 to 20 aircraft will be accompanied by the acquisition of four A330-200 aircraft, which will be delivered from December next year to help offset a capacity shortfall caused by the giant plane's two-year production delay.
The Airbus planes are in addition to a decision by Qantas to buy five more Boeing 737-800s with a list price of up to $US75 million ($97 million) each and a previously announced order for up to 115 Boeing 787s.
"We're going to have a much more uniform fleet of aircraft further out and all of them with the best technology," Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said yesterday.
Mr Dixon said the A380s would be delivered between 2008 and 2015 and deployed on dense, long-haul routes to the US, Britain and Continental Europe.
He also hinted that the flying kangaroo might also start up services to Middle Eastern destinations such as Dubai once the big jet gives it the capacity to fly there non-stop.
He said the airline had negotiated an "attractive package" of outright purchases and operating leases to firm up the A380 order.
But he would not reveal the overall cost of the package, saying simply that all costs would be met by operating cash flows.
However, the airline will have received significant discounts on the sticker price because of the inconvenience of the two-year delay in its A380 deliveries and the fact Airbus now has to sell many more planes to break even on the superjumbo project.
Qantas initially ordered 12 A380s with an option for 12 more and Mr Dixon said yesterday the airline had always intended to acquire more of the double-decker planes. "Twelve is just not a viable fleet and we always intended to go firm with the options ... it's a very good package," he said.
Mr Dixon said the A380 and the 787 both had operating costs up to 20 per cent lower than existing planes.
They would form the nucleus of the Qantas and Jetstar fleets out to 2015.
The airline did not see Boeing's 747-8 stretch jumbo jet as an alternative.
Qantas boosts superjumbo order by eight
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
October 30, 2006.
QANTAS has taken advantage of the problems at European manufacturer Airbus to lift its A380 fleet by eight of the giant planes in a 12-aircraft order with a sticker value of nearly $3billion.
The upgrade of the airline's A380 fleet from 12 to 20 aircraft will be accompanied by the acquisition of four A330-200 aircraft, which will be delivered from December next year to help offset a capacity shortfall caused by the giant plane's two-year production delay.
The Airbus planes are in addition to a decision by Qantas to buy five more Boeing 737-800s with a list price of up to $US75 million ($97 million) each and a previously announced order for up to 115 Boeing 787s.
"We're going to have a much more uniform fleet of aircraft further out and all of them with the best technology," Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said yesterday.
Mr Dixon said the A380s would be delivered between 2008 and 2015 and deployed on dense, long-haul routes to the US, Britain and Continental Europe.
He also hinted that the flying kangaroo might also start up services to Middle Eastern destinations such as Dubai once the big jet gives it the capacity to fly there non-stop.
He said the airline had negotiated an "attractive package" of outright purchases and operating leases to firm up the A380 order.
But he would not reveal the overall cost of the package, saying simply that all costs would be met by operating cash flows.
However, the airline will have received significant discounts on the sticker price because of the inconvenience of the two-year delay in its A380 deliveries and the fact Airbus now has to sell many more planes to break even on the superjumbo project.
Qantas initially ordered 12 A380s with an option for 12 more and Mr Dixon said yesterday the airline had always intended to acquire more of the double-decker planes. "Twelve is just not a viable fleet and we always intended to go firm with the options ... it's a very good package," he said.
Mr Dixon said the A380 and the 787 both had operating costs up to 20 per cent lower than existing planes.
They would form the nucleus of the Qantas and Jetstar fleets out to 2015.
The airline did not see Boeing's 747-8 stretch jumbo jet as an alternative.
