Major airlines in Brazil, Chile, Columbia, El Salvador and Panama are expected to finalise big short-haul fleet orders soon. Combined orders and options for over 100 aircraft are expected from the carriers.
Copa Panama is close to finalising an order to replace its entire fleet, which consists of 11 Boeing 737-200s, but the airline denies rumours that the A320 family is the front-runner.
"We are still in negotiations with Boeing and Airbus over a deal worth $480 million for up to 16 aircraft," says Copa executive president, Pedro Heilbron.
Candidates include the Boeing 737-700/800 and the Airbus A319/A320, with deliveries expected to begin in 1999.
LAN Chile and its subsidiary Ladeco operates a fleet of some 22 Boeing 737-200s and is known to be examining replacements. Patrick Kahr, LAN Chile's vice-president for international operations, confirms that a deal for the replacement of the 737-200s will take place, but says that it will "not necessarily be with Boeing".
The TACA Group of El Salvador has stakes in South American carriers Lacsa, Sahsa, Nica and Aviateca, all of which operate 737s, and is looking to order Airbuses.
Lacsa already operates four A320s and, according to a comment made recently by El Salvador's president during a visit to Daimler-Benz Aerospace's Airbus plant at Hamburg, its parent TACA is to acquire 30 A319s.
Brazil's TAM, which recently ordered up to ten A330-200s, is understood to be negotiating for as many as 50 A319s, partially to replace its 25 Fokker 100s.
VASP, which controls Ecuatoriana and Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, has 20 Boeing 737-200s which need to be replaced and is reported to want new 737s. The airline nearly placed an order in 1996 for ten A310-300s, and there have been suggestions that a deal with Airbus for widebodies is on the cards.
Source: Flight International
