Japan Airlines (JAL) has agreed a compensation deal with Boeing related to delays in 787 deliveries that will see it acquiring 11 more 767s and 777s from the manufacturer.
JAL has been in negotiations with Boeing for months on a compensation deal related to delays in deliveries of the 35 787s that it has on firm order.
The Oneworld alliance carrier says in a statement today that an agreement has now been reached under which it will be adding 11 more 767s and 777s in the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years.
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© AirTeamImages/Andrew HuntA Japan Airlines Boeing 767 |
"Furthermore, in line with the schedule to introduce alternative aircraft, we will adjust the retirement plan of existing Boeing 767s...," says JAL.
A spokesman says from Tokyo that it has not yet been decided whether JAL will purchase or lease the aircraft from Boeing, adding that this will be decided around the time of delivery.
Industry sources told Flightglobal.com's sister premium news source Air Transport Intelligence (ATI) earlier this year that JAL, as well as local rival All Nippon Airways, were in talks to take 767-300ERs on lease from Boeing as part of a compensation package for 787 delays.
The JAL spokesman says the agreement with Boeing will see it adding two more 777s and nine more 767s, adding that for both types JAL has the option to take either the -200 or -300 variant. It already has large fleets of both 767s and 777s.
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© AirTeamImages/Tim de GrootA JAL Boeing 777 |
JAL was originally due to take delivery of its first 787 last month, with deliveries continuing at a rate of around five or six per year through the end of the 2013 fiscal year.
It says today that due to delays in the programme its first 787 will now be delivered in October 2009. Deliveries will continue through the end of the 2016 financial year at a rate of around four or five per year.
JAL says this means delays range from between 14 months and nearly three years per aircraft, adding that the average delay is two years per aircraft.
It says that "we feel we are capable of managing the impact of the delay now after taking into consideration the agreement reached with Boeing".
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
