Talks begin for huge orderThai Airways International has begun talks with Airbus on the possibility of acquiring up to 30 of the next-generation A350XWB jets and six additional A380 superjumbos.
THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand and Jean-Jacques Boissin, Airbus's Southeast Asia sales director, separately confirmed the discussions. If a sale materialises, it may represent the largest aircraft order in the 50-year history of the flag carrier.
The aircraft would cost US$9.12 billion on the open market, though Airbus tends to offer deep discounts to compete with US rival Boeing on major orders.
Airbus is pushing for orders of the new high-capacity jets as part of THAI's ongoing fleet renewal programme as it replaces ageing jets with planes that offer more advanced features and better fuel efficiency to appeal to customers.
According to a draft plan presented to THAI's board earlier, by 2026 the airline expects to have a fleet of 102 aircraft with an average age of 7.5 years.
Currently there are 88 planes in THAI's fleet with an average age of 11.5 years, compared to competitors such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific whose aircraft are six to seven years old.
Mr Boissin believes THAI needs thirty A350s over the next decade to replace the A340s, Boeing B777-200ERs and B777-300ERs it uses on long-haul routes.
Airbus also wants to sell THAI another six double-decker A380s beyond the six units already ordered and due for delivery in 2012 and 2013 to operate primarily on European routes.
"We are absolutely sure that THAI needs at least twice as many [A380s]," said Mr Boissin, though THAI executives did not comment.
But THAI is interested in the 900 and 1000 versions of the long-range, mid-size, wide-body A350 which boasts advanced technology and fuel efficiency.
Priced at $240 million, the A350-900 seats 314 passengers in a three-class cabin layout. It has a standard range target of 15,000 km.
The 900 version will debut in 2013 with the first aircraft going to Qatar Airways, to be followed by the 270-seat A350-800 ($208 million) in 2014. An even larger variant with 350 seats, the A350-1000, is scheduled to enter service in late 2015, according to Airbus.
However, Airbus may not be able to deliver the A350s to potential new customers soon enough due to a large order backlog, now at 530 planes from 33 customers, including Bangkok Airways which ordered four new jets.
"We are a victim of our own success. So we have to reorganise to improve production capacity," said Mr Boissin.
The earliest that Airbus could deliver the first A350 to THAI is 2017, he pointed out.
The A350 was designed to compete with Boeing's hot-selling 787 Dreamliner, which is running more than two years behind schedule. The US planemaker has already received more than 850 orders for the jet that will largely be made of composite materials.
The A350 will be the first Airbus plane with both fuselage and wing structures made largely of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic. Airbus claims the A350 will be more fuel efficient, with up to 8% lower operating costs than the B787.
Airbus projects demand for 5,000 aircraft in the 250- to 300-seat category over the next two decades, a segment that includes the A350 and B787.
Credit :
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tourism/191256/talks-begin-for-huge-orderแต่ใจผมอยากให้ลองมองๆน้อง787ดูบ้างนะคับ
Topic: จริงหรือนี่??? (Read 9447 times)
