United Airlines' chairman, Gerald Greenwald, has launched a crusade to cut costs by persuading carriers and manufacturers to standardise aircraft configurations.
"Standardisation is an idea that can save airlines a lot of money," he told the SAE/ATA standard aircraft symposium inWashington DC in November. "We are our own worst enemies in demanding increased customisation."
The meeting agreed to form an airline task force under the Society of Automotive Engineers' Aerospace group. The unit will report to the Air Transport Association's senior advisory committee by May 1999 on the viability of standardising airliner configurations.
Airlines which agreed to participate include British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa and United.
Manufacturers say that customisation adds 3-4% to aircraft costs, but automotive-industry veteran Greenwald believes prices could be reduced by 10-20% if standardisation allows airframers to produce aircraft at maximum efficiency. He was Chrysler vice-chairman when the automotive industry went through a similar process of reducing customer options to cut costs.
Greenwald suggests manufacturers should limit airline options "...to what the passengers see, feel and taste." He rails against the cost and time required to certificate custom airline seats and asks: "Why does every airline need a unique galley? Does the passenger care?"
Airbus believes it should be possible to reduce cabin configuration costs by 20% using standardised seats and galleys. The price of in-flight entertainment systems, which accounts for 50% of cabin customisation costs, could be reduced by 20-25% using standard interfaces, the manufacturer says.
To head off potential opposition to the concept from United's technical staff, Greenwald has made the commitment "...that not one single job will be lost because we use standardisation."
Backing for the standard aircraft is to be sought from other airline chief executives, says the ATA.
Source: Airline Business
