KLM chief executive Peter Hartman is urging Airbus and Boeing to clarify their plans to replace the current generation of narrowbody aircraft. "We sent out a tender for 100 aircraft - it can be easily more," he says. "We want to know now exactly what will be the most likely delivery dates of these aircraft anda little bit more aboutfinal specifications.Both sides are delaying, delaying, delaying. Now we want to have clarity."
Hartman adds its recent "bad experience" over belated replacement of its Fokker 100s has sharpened the situation's urgency. "We see that in the end...it is almost impossible to secure and guarantee the operational integrity that belongs to a reliable airline, because the aircraft are too old," he says."That's why we're replacing them all now with Embraers. We want to avoid running into the same risk with aircraft we have to replace around 2014-15. That means you have to order tomorrow already!"
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Source: Airline Business
