SAA: B738 or A320 again?

[bigfan]

Anybody know if there is any truth in the rumour that SAA wants to get rid of its B738s and go back to A320s?

[The Guvnor]

I have it on good authority that it's true.

[MileHi]

I can't believe what I'm reading!
Just what the f@ck is going on at SAA? Flick, spin, crash?

ANT, or anyone else in the know, give us the HOT GEN!

[The Ant]

The ex A320 and A300 drivers are punting this story big time. But i have not seen anything on the ground to substantiate the rumour. What has happened is that the latest B737-800 has been taken up by KLM (or Luftanhansa, I cant quite remember) for 6 months while the training back-log at SAA clears. The next two -800's are currently being delivered, with the winglets and the head-up displays. (Also a huge waste of money!) Airbus would have to cough up a huge amount of money to take over the -800 leases and I just dont see them doing that. They then sit with the -800's and our lease of A320's will not earn them enough to cover all these costs. The only possibilty is that SAA take Airbus for the long haul fleet and use that as a bargaining tool, to push Airbus to take over the -800 leases. Otherwise there is no way a contract would have been signed that was that easy for SAA to get out of.

[MileHi]

OK, that makes sense. The only Airbus that will carry the same load (pax and freight) to Europe as the B747 is the A340-500/600 (yet to come).

From the outside, it sounds like SAA needs to get it's house in order.

(Are you still on the Classic?)

[Swamp Rat]

If it`s true, somebody really has his head up his own @rse.

[sukhoijunkie]

Rumour has it that it is true !

Singapore Airlines Academy (SAA) appears to be having weight&balance problems with the 738's. Homework before using them might have prevented it . . . . .

Anyone that operated A320's probably prefers them as crew anyway, but that is beside the point. I think the 738's are great, just some teething problems, so why get rid of them ?