Julian Moxon/HAMBURG
Air France has confirmed that it is close to ordering the Airbus A318 to replace its Boeing 737-500s, but director general Pierre-Henri Gourgeon says the airline remains in "tough negotiations" on powerplant selection.
Airbus chose the Pratt &Whitney PW6000 as the sole powerplant for the A318, but a source within the consortium says that while the P&W unit is still "officially the only engine on the aircraft" the application remains "open to others".
Speaking at the handover ceremony of the 1,000th A320 family aircraft to Air France, an A319 leased from International Lease Finance (ILFC), Gourgeon admitted that the airline has delayed its commitment to the 107-seat derivative of the A320 family because of the loss of commonality implied by a change to the PW6000.
The airline's entire narrowbody A320 fleet - 81 aircraft - is powered by the CFM International CFM56. CFMI says that it is offering a derivative of the CFM56-5 for the A318, but the company adds that it is still haggling over price, since the aircraft has to be priced at less than the larger A319, with a corresponding reduction in the cost of the engine.
The launch of the A318 will follow the Air France order, which is expected to be for up to 18 aircraft. Lufthansa, Egyptair and Aeropostal are airlines that are also expected to be among the launch customers (Flight International, 14-20 April).
A decision is "imminent" on the final assembly location - either DaimlerChrysler Aerospace's Hamburg plant, where the A319 and A321 are built, or Aerospatiale's Toulouse A320 final assembly site.
Meanwhile, the Airbus A330-200 twinjet has emerged as the front-runner ahead of the Boeing 767/777 to replace Air France's 767s and Airbus A310s. According to industry sources, a decision is likely to be made by the middle of the year.
Source: Flight International
