The battle between Airbus Industrie and Boeing to provide a new fleet of up to 16 large twinjets to Ansett of Australia appears to be drawing to an end, with a decision expected within weeks. The re-equipment project, aimed at replacing Ansett's domestic Boeing 767-200s and its international Boeing 747-300s with a single type, is expected to trigger a similar move at Australian flag carrier Qantas.
Ansett's intention of selecting just one large-twin type for its international and domestic routes is understood to have caused problems for both manufacturers. Boeing's baseline offering is the 767-300, although the US manufacturer is believed to be willing to let Ansett switch later to any type in the 767 family, including the new -400X. The 767-300 would satisfy Ansett's domestic needs, but would not match the Airbus A330-200 twinjet on international services.
The problem for Airbus, meanwhile, is that its long-range A330-200 is not suitable for the domestic market, while the shorter-range -300 version may be too big for Ansett's domestic needs. The likely size of the order (for eight aircraft initially, with options on a similar number) would make it difficult to justify mixing the fleet even between different versions of the same basic type.
Whatever Ansett chooses, Qantas is likely to be driven to follow suit - but with a crucial difference. The Australian flag carrier is in the process of a route review and may be unwilling to make a long-term commitment to any type to replace its 747 "Classics" and older 767s. Market sources in Australia suggest that Qantas may take up to seven short-term leases on Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s to compare the two types. Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise and International Lease Finance are among those already in discussion with the carrier.
Once it has sorted out its big twins, Ansett intends to rationalise the diverse fleet of narrowbody jet-powered aircraft serving with the parent company and its regional subsidiaries. The remaining Boeing 727s will depart in March, while Fokker F28s are being replaced by the end of this year, leaving Boeing 737-300s and British Aerospace 146s. It is possible that they will all be replaced by a single type.
Regional subsidiaries Kendell and Hazelton are also believed to be considering boosting their fleets with 50-seaters, with the Saab 2000 and Embraer EMB-145 as front runners. The Canadair Regional Jet -one of which was present at Avalon - is seen by the operators as an expensive alternative.
Source: Flight International
