Two European carriers have joined the list of those expressing public interest in the proposed Airbus A3XX. Both Air France and Virgin Atlantic say they could be interested in buying 5-10 aircraft each, although like other potential buyers, neither has yet put pen to paper to sign a firm commitment.
Air France has long been regarded as a near certainty to add its name to the customer list, given the strong French connection with Airbus in Toulouse. Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson appears to be hedging his bets and is also talking to Boeing about its planned stretched version of the 747-400.
Branson cites congestion and lack of slots at London Heathrow as reasons for investing in the new aircraft, estimating cost savings per passenger of 40%for the Airbus model and 30% for the proposed Boeing aircraft. Analysts believe that Virgin could most usefully employ the A3XX to help reduce seat costs for lower-yield point-to-point services, where frequency is not an issue. Air France chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta also points to capacity constraints as a reason behind his interest in the project.
Airbus says it is in serious talks with three more carriers, in addition to the eight said to have expressed interest so far. However, the supervisory board of Airbus has again put off a decision on a go-ahead for the new aircraft, with no new date set.
Source: Airline Business
