Orders worth a total of $1.3 billion were announced at Paris yesterday. Rolls-Royce, with $750 million, and AlliedSignal Aerospace, with $543 million, sounded a bullish note about the state of the aerospace industry.
"We are in the middle of the most massive explosion in the industry in recent times," says Daniel Burnham, president of AlliedSignal.
In more phlegmatic British mood, R-R managing director Colin Green says with satisfation: "It's been quite a start to the year." He adds that production is up 50% over the year before. He expects further increases to level out at 15% over the next coulpe of years.
"Our challenge this year is to meet the increase in demand for our products," says Green.
The R-R orders announced yesterday:
confirmation by British Airways of its selection of RB211-524 engines for 14 additional Boeing 747-400 airliners South African Airways has become the first airline to commit to the latest RB-211 variant, the -524G/H-T which received type certificate approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority last month. Rolls-Royce claims a 2% improvement in fuel consumption and the best performance of any -747 engine. Icelandair is to buy four more Boeing 757 aircraft, including the latest 757-300, with options on a further eight. The aircraft are powered by RB-211-535 engines: the 300s by the -535E4B engine. Green is upbeat about the company's performance in a recovering market - and despite the company's recent problems within Cathay Pacific over the Trent 700 (now resolved, he says).
Meanwhile, AlliedSignal's $543 million worth of orders covers a range of products and services for airlines and manufacturers. It includes:
A sale of 72 ITEC F124 engines and spares worth $175 million for the Czech Air Force Avionics and brakes business worth $130 million with German, Russian and Turkish airlines. A $100 million deal for propulsion engine systems for the Ayres Loadmaster utility aircraft.Source: Flight Daily News