British Airways has confirmed some details of its planned tender for new aircraft, revealing that it will issue a formal request for proposals (RFP) to Airbus Industrie and Boeing early in 1998 for at least 50 120- to 160-seat aircraft.
The airline confirms that it is in discussions with airframe and engine manufacturers and, although it declines to specify the types involved, it is clearly focusing on the Next Generation Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 family. The aircraft will be required between 1999 and 2003, and the airline says that it will take the opportunity to replace aircraft with a "common family from a single manufacturer". The RFP is part of the airline's expected requirement for over 160 new aircraft.
The new aircraft will initially replace the 737-200s operated by the Manchester/Birmingham-based BA Regional division, and then aircraft operating with its Gatwick division. BA Regional has just taken delivery of the first of seven new 737-300s on interim leases. These aircraft, leased from GE Capital Aviation Services and Boullioun, are replacing some of its 737-200s which are being returned to lessors. BA also has a fleet of some 34 737-400s, which it introduced in the early 1990s.
Meanwhile, BA's German subsidiary, Deutsche BA, has ordered a further six Boeing 737-300s, boosting its order backlog for the type to 13. Deliveries of the six new aircraft will begin early in 1998. The airline now flies ten 737-300s and five Fokker 100s.
A more pressing need is the creation of a fleet for BA's new Stansted low-fare airline, "Operation Blue Sky". The new airline is expected to start flying from April 1998 with at least four 737-300s. The carrier is looking at several short- and long-term solutions.
Two 737-300s operated by BA's French subsidiary TAT are earmarked to be transferred to the new operation. Those would be replaced at TAT by two Boeing MD-80s from BA's other French subsidiary, Air Liberté, and aircraft could be transferred from the BA fleet on an interim basis, leading to speculation that some Airbus A320s could be moved to Stansted.
Source: Flight International
