1279shp
8th Jul 2007, 23:31
And wants either 73's or 'Buses only.
This from this mornings Australian paper.
QANTAS is set to become the world's biggest airline operator of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and a major player in shaping the future of aviation after ordering as many as 40 more planes with a pre-discount market value of up to $US8 billion ($9.3 billion).
The additional aircraft take the airline's firm orders to 65 - second only to aircraft lessor International Lease Finance Company's order for 74 - with options to buy 20 more and purchase rights on another 30.
But even as Boeing prepared to unveil its first completed 787 today, to a television audience of 100 million, Qantas ramped up pressure on the US manufacturer to commit to a new version of the Dreamliner that can replace its fleet of jumbo jets.
The move is a signal that the Flying Kangaroo intends to be a force in shaping the future of aviation, with huge aircraft orders that prompt manufacturers to negotiate big discounts and give the airline a significant say in defining new planes.
Executives also revealed they were considering longer-term plans to rationalise the carrier's narrow-body fleet of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s to a single aircraft type in a move that could see a giant order for as many as 200 new aircraft with a market value of more than $US16 billion.
Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon threw down the gauntlet on a new 787 in Seattle on Saturday. He told Boeing officials and aviation reporters that Qantas wanted a bigger version of the 787, a 787-10, capable of carrying 350 passengers and a full freight load non-stop to the US as well as between Asian hubs and the furthest points in Europe.
He also issued a blunt warning to the US plane maker that Qantas could defect to archrival Airbus and buy its new A350-1000 if Boeing failed to deliver a proposal soon.
He said he had been at Airbus's headquarters in Toulouse, France, the previous week looking at mock-ups of the A350 and they had been "very impressive".
"Obviously, the A350 is of great interest to us if there isn't a (787)-10," he said. "And even if there is a 10, we'll pick the best aircraft."
Qantas has bought two versions of the 787 and will use the first, a 250-seat 787-8 due to be delivered to the airline at a rate of roughly one a month from next July, to drive Jetstar's expansion in Asia and to southern European cities such as Athens or Rome.
The second, a longer-range 787-9 capable of carrying up to 290 passengers, will start arriving in 2011 and is capable of flying non-stop to the US.
Qantas was instrumental in driving the development of the 787-9. The planes will eventually join the double-decker Airbus A380 superjumbo to become a mainstay of the group's wide-body fleet, flying international and domestic routes for both Qantas and Jetstar. This is likely to ultimately include supplying planes for the Qantas group's South-East Asian joint ventures, such as Jetstar Asia and Pacific Airlines.
Boeing officials have said they expect to build a 787-10 but Qantas is worried it might not have the range it wants.
Some industry observers believe Boeing is reluctant to build an aircraft that would compete against some versions of its popular twin-engine 777. Singapore Airlines has already opted for the A350 as a 777 replacement and Mr Dixon does not see another 777 variant as an option because of its older technology.
He said Boeing would need to give Qantas an answer by next year. "What we don't want to do is to find out that the delay on the decision between the 10 or the A350 leaves my successor less options than I would like," he said.
"(The decision) has got to be made pretty soon and that's why it's going to be pretty aggressive out there."
The 787 represents a watershed in aviation design. More than 50 per cent of it, including the hull and the wings, is made of carbon composite material.
It is expected to offer new levels of passenger comfort as well as burn up to 25 per cent less fuel than the ageing Boeing 767s it is intended to replace, and 20 per cent below newer aircraft.
Qantas bought its original 787s at bargain-basement prices well below the official list prices of up to $US167 million for the 787-8, and as much as $US200 million for the 787-9, and Mr Dixon said the new planes would have similar pricing.
The 787 has been the most successful aircraft launch in history and demand for the plane is so high that an airline ordering now will not get its aircraft until 2013. Mr Dixon rejected suggestions the airline could sell on some of its 787 production slots to other airlines, citing the competitive advantage the 787's technology and early arrival gave Qantas. "This is absolutely a technology-breaking aircraft and we have no intention of giving our slots away," Mr Dixon said.
This from this mornings Australian paper.
QANTAS is set to become the world's biggest airline operator of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and a major player in shaping the future of aviation after ordering as many as 40 more planes with a pre-discount market value of up to $US8 billion ($9.3 billion).
The additional aircraft take the airline's firm orders to 65 - second only to aircraft lessor International Lease Finance Company's order for 74 - with options to buy 20 more and purchase rights on another 30.
But even as Boeing prepared to unveil its first completed 787 today, to a television audience of 100 million, Qantas ramped up pressure on the US manufacturer to commit to a new version of the Dreamliner that can replace its fleet of jumbo jets.
The move is a signal that the Flying Kangaroo intends to be a force in shaping the future of aviation, with huge aircraft orders that prompt manufacturers to negotiate big discounts and give the airline a significant say in defining new planes.
Executives also revealed they were considering longer-term plans to rationalise the carrier's narrow-body fleet of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s to a single aircraft type in a move that could see a giant order for as many as 200 new aircraft with a market value of more than $US16 billion.
Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon threw down the gauntlet on a new 787 in Seattle on Saturday. He told Boeing officials and aviation reporters that Qantas wanted a bigger version of the 787, a 787-10, capable of carrying 350 passengers and a full freight load non-stop to the US as well as between Asian hubs and the furthest points in Europe.
He also issued a blunt warning to the US plane maker that Qantas could defect to archrival Airbus and buy its new A350-1000 if Boeing failed to deliver a proposal soon.
He said he had been at Airbus's headquarters in Toulouse, France, the previous week looking at mock-ups of the A350 and they had been "very impressive".
"Obviously, the A350 is of great interest to us if there isn't a (787)-10," he said. "And even if there is a 10, we'll pick the best aircraft."
Qantas has bought two versions of the 787 and will use the first, a 250-seat 787-8 due to be delivered to the airline at a rate of roughly one a month from next July, to drive Jetstar's expansion in Asia and to southern European cities such as Athens or Rome.
The second, a longer-range 787-9 capable of carrying up to 290 passengers, will start arriving in 2011 and is capable of flying non-stop to the US.
Qantas was instrumental in driving the development of the 787-9. The planes will eventually join the double-decker Airbus A380 superjumbo to become a mainstay of the group's wide-body fleet, flying international and domestic routes for both Qantas and Jetstar. This is likely to ultimately include supplying planes for the Qantas group's South-East Asian joint ventures, such as Jetstar Asia and Pacific Airlines.
Boeing officials have said they expect to build a 787-10 but Qantas is worried it might not have the range it wants.
Some industry observers believe Boeing is reluctant to build an aircraft that would compete against some versions of its popular twin-engine 777. Singapore Airlines has already opted for the A350 as a 777 replacement and Mr Dixon does not see another 777 variant as an option because of its older technology.
He said Boeing would need to give Qantas an answer by next year. "What we don't want to do is to find out that the delay on the decision between the 10 or the A350 leaves my successor less options than I would like," he said.
"(The decision) has got to be made pretty soon and that's why it's going to be pretty aggressive out there."
The 787 represents a watershed in aviation design. More than 50 per cent of it, including the hull and the wings, is made of carbon composite material.
It is expected to offer new levels of passenger comfort as well as burn up to 25 per cent less fuel than the ageing Boeing 767s it is intended to replace, and 20 per cent below newer aircraft.
Qantas bought its original 787s at bargain-basement prices well below the official list prices of up to $US167 million for the 787-8, and as much as $US200 million for the 787-9, and Mr Dixon said the new planes would have similar pricing.
The 787 has been the most successful aircraft launch in history and demand for the plane is so high that an airline ordering now will not get its aircraft until 2013. Mr Dixon rejected suggestions the airline could sell on some of its 787 production slots to other airlines, citing the competitive advantage the 787's technology and early arrival gave Qantas. "This is absolutely a technology-breaking aircraft and we have no intention of giving our slots away," Mr Dixon said.