Airtours International is close to deciding on an order for new long-haul aircraft from Airbus or Boeing, but the airline denies that it has any plans to introduce Airbus A330s in 1998.
According to Mike Lee, managing director of the Manchester, UK-based charter airline, decisions will be made "within the next three months" on whether to go ahead with the acquisition, and the selection of aircraft. "We are evaluating the A330-200 and Boeing 777-200, and are in discussions with the two manufacturers about a deal to take aircraft in 1999-2000," he says, adding that a final decision on whether to add capacity will be made in conjunction with Airtours' tour-operator division.
Airtours' fleet includes ten Airbus A320s, seven Boeing 757s and four 767-300ERs. It is affiliated with Canadian A330-300 operator Skyservice, and is known to have considered the wet-lease of an A330 from its sister company for operations from Manchester during the UK's 1997 winter season. Airtours was also close to finalising a deal to lease two ex-Malaysia Airlines (MAS) A330-300s from International Lease Finance in 1998, but these are now remaining with MAS on extended leases.
Lee says that Airtours has no plans to introduce A330s or 777s before 1999, but concedes that a decision is needed soon to ensure that delivery slots can be secured within the timeframe. "We will probably do a deal directly with the manufacturer, rather than through a leasing company," he says. Fellow UK charter airline Monarch has already concluded a deal with Airbus to introduce two 380-seat A330-200s on long-haul services for its summer 1999 programme.
"The new aircraft would be operated primarily on our long-haul programme alongside the 767s, as well as on some shorter-haul routes when required," says Lee. It is understood that the replacement of the 767-300ER by the A330 or 777 on flights to Australia would allow one of the two technical stops to be eliminated. The common type-rating between the 757 and 767 enables Airtours flightcrews to fly both types, and the airline's A320 pilots could be rated to fly the A330 through Airbus' cross-crew qualification programme.
Source: Flight International
