Brazil’s TAM Linhas Aéreas is to order 37 more Airbus narrowbodies and widebodies for delivery until 2010.
The fast-growing carrier says in a statement that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to acquire a further 15 A319s, 16 A320s and six A330s. It says the commitments are separate from deals last year for 29 firm-ordered A320s and 20 options.
No engine selection is mentioned for the additional A320-family or A330 aircraft. Its existing A320-family aircraft are powered by International Aero Engines V2500s although it selected the CFM International CFM56 for the additional narrowbodies ordered last year.
Most of its existing A330s are powered by General Electric CF6 engines but some are powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4168s, according to the Flight fleet database ACAS.
“With this agreement, TAM expands its fleet plan until 2010 in order to match the growth in demand in the domestic market and maintains its strategy of selective profitable growth in the international segment,” it says, adding that the 144-seat A319s and 174-seat A320s will be used to replace its 100-seat Fokker 100s.
“The decision is aligned with our proposal to be a low-cost company with differentiated services and competitive prices.
The increase in traffic density justifies that we operate larger aircraft which will also result in a lower cost per available seat-kilometre.”
TAM says its fleet will comprise at least 96 aircraft by the end of this year. Based on current plans by 2010 it will no longer be operating Fokker 100s and its fleet will comprise
127 aircraft, including 111 A319/A320s and 16 A330s.
The carrier says it had a domestic market share of 45.6% at the end of May and a 28.6% share of Brazil’s international market.
Source: Flight International
