Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON
British Airways has released a request for proposals (RFP)for the supply of up to 100 regional jets. The aircraft are required for use by its CityFlyer Express and Brymon subsidiaries, and by its franchise partner British Regional Airlines (BRAL).
The UK flag-carrier is looking at placing firm orders for around 50 aircraft seating between 70 and 110 passengers, plus a similar number of options, industry sources say.
BA declines to comment, saying only that "we have ongoing contacts with all relevant aircraft manufacturers and it is not our policy to discuss the details of such discussions."
Competing for the order are Embraer with the ERJ-170/190 family, Fairchild Dornier offering its 728JET and 928JETmodels, BAE Systems with the RJ-X and Bombardier with the CRJ700/ 900s. The aircraft would be used by the three operators to replace turboprops, expand capacity on routes now served with 50-seat jets and to launch new services.
The sources say the new competition supersedes an earlier decision by CityFlyer to take options on six RJ-Xs.
BRAL, which is in takeover talks, possibly with BA, confirms that it has delayed its own re-equipment plan to allow it to "piggyback" on to the larger BA requirement. The regional, which already operates a substantial fleet of smaller ERJ-145s, needs around 20 aircraft in the 70- to 110-seat category and had already ruled out Bombardier because its product line extends only as far as the 86-seat CRJ900.
"We reserved an initial three 2003 delivery slots for the ERJ-170 last year, and this agreement has been extended until the end of March," says BRAL's deputy chief executive Rob Hearn. "We would hope to be in a position to finalise the whole order, or certainly our part of it, by that time," he adds.
Source: Flight International
