Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE
AIRCRAFT-SEAT capacity, rather than price, appears to have been the deciding factor in Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) selection of the Boeing 777 over the rival Airbus A340.
Boeing had been widely expected for some weeks to win the MAS order with a combination of 777-200/300s and 747-400s. Attractive last minute offers from Airbus, to cut the price of its A340s and transfer composite- manufacturing technology failed to sway MAS (Flight International, 10-16 January).
"On an aircraft-to-aircraft basis, Boeing's 777 was more expensive," says MAS chairman Tajudin Ramli, "but price was not the only consideration. We decided on the best offer to fit into our pattern of operations and the routes that we're flying, and expect to start."
With MAS projecting a 12% increase in passenger traffic on international services, the airline opted for the higher-capacity 777.
Singapore Airlines' recent decision to purchase the 777 in place of the Airbus A330 was based on similar capacity considerations.
The 15 777s, including five stretch -300s and ten 747-400s ordered by MAS, will be used to increase frequencies and open up new, thinner, routes to the Middle East, South Africa and South America. The airline already flies to Johannesburg, but needs a smaller, more economical aircraft than the 747 for onward flights to Buenos Aires.
MAS already operates ten Airbus A330s on regional Asian routes and has options on a further six aircraft. Airbus had been trying to persuade MAS to convert some of these options to the long-range A340, but with little success.
"In this particular exercise, we believe there should only be one winner. We cannot afford too many aircraft types in the system. It would be too expensive to maintain them," says Tajudin.
MAS has taken options on three more Pratt & Whitney PW4056-powered 747s and two Rolls-Royce Trent 800-equipped 777s. It is also understood to have floating options on a further 35 aircraft, which are interchangeable and thought to include proposed new variants, such as the 777-100X and 747-500/600.
Source: Flight International
