I last something to warm my hart with this week end!
Iberia just send a press release saying they have ordered 79 aircrafts from the A320 famiy, including 30 firms (18 A318 , 9 A320 and 6 A321) and 49 options to replace MD87, MD88, 757 and oldest A320; Deliveries will be between 2006 and 2011. They also said : "It is the greatest fleet renewal of Iberia's history".
I am not so sure about this news jet so remove it, if it turned about to not be correct!
Iberia has decided today the acquisition of up to 79 new aircraft of the
Airbus A320 family to renew its short and medium haul fleet.
The agreement includes 30 firm acquisitions and 49 options. In the first
case there will be 15 Airbus A318, nine A320 and six A321. The delivery
period of the aircraft, firm and options, will be from 2006 to 2011.
These new aircraft will replace 19 MD-87, 13 MD-88, 7 Boeing 757 and the
oldest Airbus A320.
Total aircraft catalogue price amounts to more than $4,500 million, over
which the Company has obtained important discounts.
This agreement is the greatest one ever decided by Iberia, overcoming the
contract signed in 1998 also for the short and medium haul renewal that
included the incorporation of up to 76 aircraft (50 firm and 26 options) of
the Airbus A320 family.
Advantages and opportunities for Iberia
With this fleet renewal, Iberia will have a unique model of short and medium
haul aircraft, the family Airbus A320, with four different sizes to
adapt to
each market (between 120 and 200 passengers). This will give flexibility and
lead to an improvement of both aircraft and crew productivity. Likewise, the
need of spare parts, time and costs of crew training will be reduced.
Finally, the new aircraft have lower fuel consumption and maintenance costs.
The negotiation of the fleet renewal in this moment has led Iberia to take
advantage of the current situation, with a strong euro against the dollar,
low interest rates and a strong competition between the manufacturers.
Iberia has obtained financial support from Airbus that will allow the
financing of an important part of these aircraft under operating lease.
Thus, thanks to the economic and financial conditions of the agreement,
Iberia will be able to compete with the low cost carriers in the short and
medium haul with the same or better fleet costs. On the other hand, the
Company will have a high degree of flexibility in the short and medium haul
to continue to quickly adapt to the evolution of the markets.
The negotiation process has been characterized by a strong competition and
professionalism, which Iberia wants to highlight and thank to both
manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing. The fleet renewal is a constant process
and the Company will have to face the selection of future long haul
aircraft, being Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 the most interesting options.
Finally, it is worth noting that Iberia will have to take the decision about
the engines that will equip these aircraft among the models CFM (General
Electric and SNECMA), IAE (Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney and others) or Pratt
& Whitney (in the case of the A318).
Impressive, however sad to see different types leaving the fleet again: after DC-10-30 and B727-200 now also B757-200, MD-87, MD-88. Probably also the B747-200's and -300's as A340-600's keep arriving from toulouse.
What a suprise
I hope that I can fly in the future on a Iberia baby Airbus
Is Iberia the second european A318 user ?
In Europe Air France has 318's and outside Europe Frontier and Mexicana?
airbuske wrote:Is Iberia the second european A318 user ?
Yes it is, or perhaps it will be Tarom? Also AF is the only one carrier in the world to fly every aircraft of the A320 familly (A318, A319, A320 and A321), so welcome to this very restricted club IB!!
airbuske wrote:In Europe Air France has 318's and outside Europe Frontier and Mexicana?
Yes, they are the only ones currently. America West Airlines and Tarom ordered it as well (15 and 4 respectively). Airbus tries to sell some to CityJet (AF subsidiary), which are capable to operates from LCY, but I don't think they will buy it (they are looking for something able to replace a BAe 146-300 (110 pax), but they are not in a hurry).
airbuske wrote:What a suprise
I hope that I can fly in the future on a Iberia baby Airbus
Is Iberia the second european A318 user ?
In Europe Air France has 318's and outside Europe Frontier and Mexicana?
As far as i know is it the 3rd one
there should be a companay called tarom that has orderd 4 a318's they are from the old yougoslavia republic
a340 wrote:As far as i know is it the 3rd one
there should be a companay called tarom that has orderd 4 a318's they are from the old yougoslavia republic
Tarom will receive their A318s between the end of 2006 and the end of 2007, Iberia will receive theirs from 2006 to 2011.
What ever is the second european carrier to operates the A318, Iberia and Tarom first A318 delivery will be close.
