Mike Martin
British Aerospace Regional Aircraft announced the sale of three Avro RJ100 aircraft at Farnborough '98 yesterday. The $80 million deal was with Swissair Group leasing arm Flightlease and the aircraft will be delivered in July, September and October, 1999.
The order may have a deeper significance as Swissair had expressed support for the Fairchild Dornier regional airliner family. Jeff Marsh, vice-president, commercial, says it could be a signal that the Fairchild Dornier programme "-is running in the direction of less interest than it was."
BAe has made a success out of serving a niche market, but it is working to ensure it does not get into a tight corner as several aerospace companies now threaten to dive into the 100-seat regional aircraft market.
Marsh addresses the issue head-on: He does not believe the investment needed for a brand-new aircraft would bring a payback, and BAe is investing in a development programme to improve the RJ, the RJX.
"We doubt the financial viability of any new aircraft you have to develop from scratch," says Marsh. "However, we are very comfortable with our own plans, which would be retrofitable on existing aircraft."
The RJX programme aims to reduce fuel burn by 15% and reduce maintenance costs by 20%. It is also focused on weight reduction and meeting any future tightening of noise controls. BAe is looking to re-engine the aircraft (retaining the four-engine configuration) either with Pratt & Whitney PW308s or new AlliedSignal AS900.
A decision will be made at the end of the year on engine choice and formal launch of the project. First flight will be mid-2000 and certification at the end of 2000.
BAe says it cannot talk about the development costs because additional issues such as the installation of a glass cockpit are still being studied. But, says programme manager Neil Masom says the modifications would deliver significant value to airlines.
RJ build time has been cut from 29 weeks in 1991 to 11 weeks and is expected to drop to nine weeks by the end of the year
Source: Flight Daily News
