NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE
Aircraft are expected to replace ageing A300s operated by merger partner JAS
Japan Airlines (JAL) has quietly ordered eight additional Boeing 767-300ERs as it moves forward with plans to reduce the number of aircraft types in its group fleet to 11 from 16 by the end of 2006.
Although the carrier will not comment on the additional 767 commitments, industry sources say that at least half of the eight 767s Boeing recently added to its 2003 order table are for JAL. The eight, which represent the first 767 orders for Boeing this year, are listed in the unidentified customer category. The order list does not show any 767s on backlog for JAL, which already operates more than 25 767-200/300/300ERs.
JAL is in the process of integrating its operations with those of Japan Air System (JAS), which was merged with the larger carrier last year under a joint holding company. The additional 767s are expected to replace some of JAS's 12 ageing Airbus A300B2/B4s in the "middle-range" fleet category.
Including subsidiary carriers, JAL and JAS have a combined fleet of more than 280 aircraft. By the end of March 2006, when the fleet should comprise no more than 11 types compared with the current sixteen, 276 aircraft are expected to be operated.
In the middle-range category, the carrier's fleet of six different types will be reduced to three - A300-600s, 767s and 777s.
With these plans effectively finalised, JAL had been widely expected to turn its attention to replacing Boeing MD-80/90 and Boeing 737-400 narrowbodies, but it now says this is unlikely for some time.
JAS operates 42 MD-81/87/90s, while JAL and subsidiaries Japan TransOcean Air and JAL Express operate 23 737-400s.
Airbus and Boeing were expecting requests for proposals on new A320 or 737 aircraft to have been issued earlier this year. JAL says it intends to have a single narrowbody type in its group fleet in future, but "we are not in a hurry". It adds: "We need to restrict investment in new aircraft for the next two or three years and we have enough small aircraft in the fleet for present capacity needs."
Source: Flight International
