MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / PARIS & NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE
Airbus confident two of the country's airlines will buy aircraft before 2008 and courts other carriers in the region
Airbus expects two Chinese airlines to be among the next batch of A380 customers as it targets more Asian carriers for the ultra-large aircraft.
Malaysia Airlines signed for six A380s earlier this month, taking total orders and commitments for the 560-seater to 103 aircraft from 10 customers. "Sales are way ahead of where we wanted to be at this stage of the programme," says Airbus vice-president customer affairs John Leahy. Reiterating an earlier forecast that he expects to add one A380 customer a year, Leahy says "it is likely we'll pick up another one during 2003".
He adds: "We have two other major A380 campaigns ongoing in Asia," and he hints that Chinese carriers are involved. "Before the Beijing Olympics in 2008, I expect two Chinese airlines will be operating the A380. They'll probably want them in service by 2007 so they'll have to place an order soon," he says.
Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways has been considering an order for the A380 for some time and said last year that a decision would probably be taken late in 2002 or early in 2003.
Airline sources say a decision has been pushed back to an unspecified date, and an order is not considered imminent. Airbus is confident Cathay will eventually commit to the A380, either by initially leasing aircraft from International Lease Finance (ILFC) or by making a direct purchase from the manufacturer.
In mainland China itself, most observers view Air China and China Southern Airlines as the most likely potential operators, and believe at least one will be operating the A380 before the Olympics. Air China is the only mainland Chinese operator of Boeing 747 passenger aircraft and as the only officially designated flag carrier, itis seen by Airbus as its best near-term prospect.
Meanwhile, Leahy says he expects "one or both" of the major Japanese carriers to eventually acquire A380s. All Nippon Airways (ANA), which is planning a major narrowbody order this year, is being heavily courted by Airbus as a new A380 customer. The European manufacturer is trying to convince ANA to link widebody aircraft purchases with its narrowbody replacement plans.
Japan Airlines, which is also expected to open a major narrowbody replacement competition in the coming months, is also seen as a potential A380 operator, but it is a loyal Boeing customer and is regarded by Airbus as a longer-term prospect than ANA.
Source: Flight International
