Rumor: US Airways to take AC A340-500s

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 27 Feb 2007, 23:46

The rumor this week in Tempe is that US will be taking these aircraft from AC. The routes will be from PHL to China and the rest of SE Asia (though Singapore might be a reach for the configuration that US would use).

No links to stories or anything on this one, just a big fat rumor.

nwa757 · Post by **nwa757** » 28 Feb 2007, 02:49

That would be cool! I'd love to see an American carrier with the A340 (even though I am a Boeing man).

It makes good business sense, too. I am sure US could get a good deal on these aircraft, and it would give them the growth that they need quickly.

achace · Post by **achace** » 28 Feb 2007, 02:56

If the price is right, I guess the higher operating cost compared with the 777 can be offset to a degree, and they are about the only modern long range aircraft readily available right now.

Certainly USAir probably would get better deals on spares etc than most other Airbus operators.

Hope it happens.
Cheers
Achace

David747 · Post by **David747** » 28 Feb 2007, 14:50

cageyjames wrote:The rumor this week in Tempe is that US will be taking these aircraft from AC. The routes will be from PHL to China and the rest of SE Asia (though Singapore might be a reach for the configuration that US would use).

No links to stories or anything on this one, just a big fat rumor.

I hope this rumor is true, wouldn't that mean that US Airways will expand its international routes...

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 28 Feb 2007, 15:21

CEO Parker has said China is in the future.

Can't get there with A333s or 762ERs from PHL.

TexasGuy · Post by **TexasGuy** » 28 Feb 2007, 19:23

Hmmm.

I would like to see them in US Airways fleet, but not just for a potential China authority. That wouldnt make good business sense to buy these planes just for China when the options for China are less than favorable. They should be thinking other more easily accesible markets which would make sense to use these planes on, other than China, in which thier current widebody fleet is not capable of making. PHL-China sounds good, but i think thats where the goodness stops

:(

Have to wait and see, stranger things have happened.

;)

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 28 Feb 2007, 19:39

TexasGuy wrote: PHL-China sounds good, but i think thats where the goodness stops :(

With only 3 A345s, I can't imagine much growth. Doug keeps saying China is important. The other route that might be on is PHX-FRA. Since LH has dropped the route after 9-11 I know people have been waiting for it to come back. An A332 should be able to make that route though, though LH used A340s back then.

TexasGuy · Post by **TexasGuy** » 28 Feb 2007, 19:47

cageyjames wrote:
TexasGuy wrote: PHL-China sounds good, but i think thats where the goodness stops :(
With only 3 A345s, I can't imagine much growth. Doug keeps saying China is important. The other route that might be on is PHX-FRA. Since LH has dropped the route after 9-11 I know people have been waiting for it to come back. An A332 should be able to make that route though, though LH used A340s back then.

Now you are making sense and sounding good with A332 on PHX-FRA and i will add PHX-LGW.

For the A345's your company should look at routes to Turkey and Isreal from PHL. Turkish routes will tap into the big cruise ship market in Turkey and tourism to Israel seems to rise each year. Shame to let Delta and Continental have all of that revenue

;)

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 28 Feb 2007, 20:42

TexasGuy wrote:Now you are making sense and sounding good with A332 on PHX-FRA and i will add PHX-LGW.

BA already has PHX-LHR so I'm not sure how much demand there is when BA is already flying 744s almost daily.

For the A345's your company should look at routes to Turkey and Israel from PHL.

While that might be true, I think China is still #1 on the wish list. The prestige that would come from a route like that is part of the equation. I won't deny that there would be more money in those other routes plus some that US has been looking at (SVO was expected to be announced instead of ATH). To get the route to NRT, US needs to have at least some presence in Asia.

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 28 Feb 2007, 22:54

TexasGuy wrote:I would like to see them in US Airways fleet, but not just for a potential China authority. That wouldnt make good business sense to buy these planes just for China when the options for China are less than favorable.

Just revisiting this as it appears to me now you didn't know we apply for China routes.

http://tinyurl.com/2ow239

Got to have aircraft ready for such a route.

TexasGuy · Post by **TexasGuy** » 01 Mar 2007, 00:07

Yes i knew you guys applied and i knew you wouldnt have a snowballs chance in hell of getting it, unfortunately

The competition is much more well positioned for that. With the authorities to China being so limited in number, it would a shame to take on the added expense of a 4 engined aircraft to fly to a destination thats hard to get. It would be nice to see US in China, but reallity should set in and US should be prepared to use those craft on other routes as well--especially profitable routes

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 01 Mar 2007, 00:17

TexasGuy wrote:Yes i knew you guys applied and i knew you wouldnt have a snowballs chance in hell of getting it, unfortunately
The competition is much more well positioned for that. With the authorities to China being so limited in number, it would a shame to take on the added expense of a 4 engined aircraft to fly to a destination thats hard to get. It would be nice to see US in China, but reallity should set in and US should be prepared to use those craft on other routes as well--especially profitable routes

Fair enough, but I think for us to realistically get such a route will require us to have an aircraft that can support that route.

There is also word that US might be getting A343s, not A345s, but I believe they should be able to reach China from PHL.

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 01 Mar 2007, 14:57

OK, its more than a rumor now...

US Airways seeks long-range jets

US Airways is negotiating with Air Canada to buy at least two Airbus A340-300 long-range aircraft that it could use to fly to China.

The Airbus A340 is a wide-body plane with four engines that some airlines, including Air Canada, are trying to sell because it's relatively expensive to fly, especially now that fuel prices are high. Air Canada has 10 A340-300s and two A340-500s, which can fly more than 10,000 miles nonstop.

"Those planes aren't in favor now," said airline analyst Mike Boyd of Evergreen, Colo. "But (for US Airways) it could be a very economical plane to get a hold of, though it might not be economical to run."

I believe if US will have daily service to China, they'll need one more A340. I can't see how you can do such service with only two airplanes. If one goes out of service for maintenance, US won't have a backup.

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 01 Mar 2007, 19:18

Philly will get US Airways China flight

US Airways will announce this afternoon that its proposed China route will be from Philadelphia to Shanghai.

The airline is petitioning the U.S. Department of Transportation for the right to fly to China. Other airlines are competing as well. US Airways doesn't have any flights now to Asia and it doesn't have a plane that could fly that far.

Well there you go!

RC20 · Post by **RC20** » 01 Mar 2007, 22:18

cageyjames wrote:
TexasGuy wrote: PHL-China sounds good, but i think thats where the goodness stops :(
With only 3 A345s, I can't imagine much growth. Doug keeps saying China is important. The other route that might be on is PHX-FRA. Since LH has dropped the route after 9-11 I know people have been waiting for it to come back. An A332 should be able to make that route though, though LH used A340s back then.

I suspect its a chicken and egg thing. Yout can't bid the route if no planes (or viable ones).

Get the planes, get the routes, and then get 777s when you can!

Likley able to sell them (Aeroflot will probably take them!)

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 02 Mar 2007, 19:09

US Airways looks to other Asia routes

Philadelphia could get more direct air service to Asia - including flights to Tokyo - were US Airways to win approval to launch nonstop trips to China next year, the airline's chief executive officer, Doug Parker, said yesterday.

...

"Tokyo would be a terrific route out of Philadelphia," he said. "If we do well to Shanghai, we'll have the planes to go nonstop to Narita," Tokyo's international airport.

US Airways would not need permission from U.S. or Japanese officials to operate those flights, but would have to obtain landing slots at Narita Airport, which are in short supply and desired by other major airlines, Parker said.

...

US Airways has been talking to Ace Aviation Holdings Ltd., the parent of Air Canada, about buying or leasing Airbus A340 jets that Air Canada expects to begin replacing this year, Bloomberg News reported. The four-engine A340 has a range of more than 8,000 miles.

US Airways spokesman Philip Gee said the airline has talked to several potential sellers of long-range planes, but hasn't decided what it would use if it gets the Philadelphia-Shanghai route.

TexasGuy · Post by **TexasGuy** » 02 Mar 2007, 20:21

Would be interesting to see if this happens. US Airways tried for Tokyo back in 1997 or 1998 and they pulled the app. because of company trouble with pilots contracts and lack of planes. We will see if this happens....

cageyjames · Post by **cageyjames** » 02 Mar 2007, 20:36

TexasGuy wrote:US Airways tried for Tokyo back in 1997 or 1998 and they pulled the app. because of company trouble with pilots contracts and lack of planes. We will see if this happens....

Which ties in nicely with this...

US Airways Pilots Sue Airline

TexasGuy · Post by **TexasGuy** » 02 Mar 2007, 21:11

Starting sound familiar........

I hope im wrong, but it looks like a page out of Wolfs play book. Announce all this potential growth then blame its failure on the pilots or some other labor group. I hope im wrong, i want to see you guys grow!!!

beaucaire · Post by **beaucaire** » 02 Mar 2007, 22:34

regarding the quality of the A340 -the German airline LTU will order 4 new A340's very soon,considering them as the best long-haul aircraft for them...

Aviation24.be

Rumor: US Airways to take AC A340-500s

Rumor: US Airways to take AC A340-500s

Re: Rumor: US Airways to take AC A340-500s