Farnborough 2008 Show News - July 15, 2008 - (Page 4) FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 The Backlog’s Intact, Says Boeing’s Carson, Just a ‘Handful’ of Deferrals Boeing’s order backlog is not yet being hurt by the dire condition of many of its airline customers, according to Boeing Commercial Airplanes head Scott Carson. While the company has had “a handful” of customers defer orders for a year or two, Boeing has yet to see any cancellations, Carson said. And the large backlog Boeing is carrying means there are plenty of customers eager to move up the list and take any production slots freed up by order delays, he said. Carson admits that the ongoing credit market crisis could affect aircraft demand, Scott Carson. and there remains a risk of this being a constraint on aircraft deals. He stressed that Boeing is not seeing this occur yet, but it is an issue the company is watching closely. Boeing sees aircraft replacement “remaining robust” over the next 20 years despite soaring oil prices, and this is why it is still bullish on long-term demand. Regarding Bombardier’s plans for its 110- to 130-seat CSeries, Carson “doesn’t anticipate any particular impact” on Boeing sales. Boeing “hasn’t ruled out” participating in the small aircraft market, although in past studies the company “hasn’t seen that market being an attractive one to us.” Carson said he wishes Bombardier well with its CSeries, although he notes Bombardier is likely to face three or four competitors in this market, not including Boeing and Airbus. —Adrian Schofield Saudi Arabian Airlines Buys A330-300s Saudi Arabian Airlines has placed a firm order for eight Airbus A330-300 airliners as part of a comprehensive fleet modernization program. The contract follows one for 22 Airbus A320s signed in late 2007—Saudi Arabian’s first Airbus order in more than two decades. Saudi Arabian was the launch customer for the A300-600, with the first of these reaching the airline in 1984. A twin-engine wide-body, the A330-300 has a range of up to 5,650 nmi and can seat up to 335 people in a two-class configuration. Orders for the type stand at more than 300. A Saudi Arabian A320 is shown here. Blended Winglets for the Boeing 767-300 GKN Aerospace has delivered an initial set of blended winglets to Aviation Partners Boeing, earmarked for installation on American Airlines’ fleet of 767-300ER/F aircraft. Under its supplier agreement, GKN is involved in the design and development of an 11-ft tall winglet and will build some 450 shipsets, with a forecast peak production of 16 per month. Embraer 190s for Aeroméxico and Niki Embraer yesterday reported sales of 17 new Embraer 190 regional jets—12 to Aeroméxico and five to the Austria-based airline Niki. The aircraft for Mexico will be operated by Aeroméxico Connect, which according to Embraer already operates 28 ERJ 145 jets, and since November has taken operating leases on four Embraer 190s from GE Commercial Aviation Services. Niki, which is Austria’s low-cost airline, will be the first to fly E-Jets with all-new “slim seats,” Embraer says. The total value of the deal comes to $187.5 million, which could double if all options are confirmed. Niki “is true to its low-cost airline philosophy and is paying special attention to the economic advantages our jets can deliver,” said Embraer airline market evp Mauro Kern.” Deliveries are to begin in the first half of 2009. Embraer (Chalet C33-35) also yesterday confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s National Air Services has exercised an option for five more 190s, bringing its total to ten. NAS has rights to a dozen more. Bristow Adds Nine Sikorsky Helos Offshore giant Bristow Helicopters will exercise options on two Sikorsky S-92 and six S-76C++ helicopters connected with existing sales agreements. Bristow also added options to purchase eight additional S-92s. Separately, S-92s in service with the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (operated by CHC Helicopters) have logged more than 150 rescues in the North Sea and North Atlantic since the Search And Rescue version of the S-92 was introduced in March 2007. One incident involved the rescue of 14 sailors from the vessel Spinningdale, which ran aground near St. Kilda in February. CFM56 Compressor Upgrade Certified Friends to the End Boeing Commercial Airplanes head Scott Carson drew a few snickers from the assembled media yesterday when he said that he and “my friend” Tom Enders are scheduled to appear at the same SBAC sustainable aviation conference on Wednesday. Carson was moved to assure the cynical media types he was speaking sincerely. “Tom Enders and I are good friends,” he said, “and this issue [the environment] has made us better friends.” 4 CFM has completed certification of the CFM56 T Insertion compressor upgrade kit, technology ech designed to reduce the fuel consumption and maintenance costs of mature CFM56-5B and -7B engines. Installed during a scheduled service visit, the kit hardware is part of a full Tech Insertion core upgrade for engines delivered prior to a 2007 production change. CFM56 variants continue to sell in large numbers. Recent orders have come from China Southern (20 new Airbus A320s), FlyDubai (50 new Boeing 737-800/900s), and Saudi Arabian (22 new Airbus A320s). US Airways, IAE, Link on Maintenance International Aero Engines (IAE) has signed a long-term aftermarket maintenance agreement with US Airways, covering the IAE V2500-A5 engines that power the airline’s fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft. The contract, which runs until 2032, will initially cover 74 aircraft in service and engines for a further 78 aircraft US Airways ordered last year. Through the agreement, IAE will assume responsibility for delivering a complete engine-maintenance program. July 15, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews
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