Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
NORTHWEST AIRLINES has postponed and may eventually cancel delivery of 16 Airbus A330s in favour of acquiring 20 more A320s and hushkits for its 32 Boeing 727-200s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s.
The decision puts in doubt the US carrier's intentions of ever taking delivery of the larger, longer-range A330s. Airline officials emphasise that the airline has secured the right to substitute other Airbus and Pratt & Whitney products for the A330s. The deal allows Northwest to cancel the A330 without financial penalty, once the A320s have been delivered.
Announcing the memorandum of understanding with Airbus Industrie, Northwest declined to say what the A320s and hushkits will cost. A company official says, that the deal improves Northwest's cash flow ".by more than $500 million through 1999, by restructuring a like amount of obligations with the airframe and engine manufacturers".
The fourth-largest US air carrier already owns 50 A320s, but the 50 options it took at the time of the original order have lapsed. It will receive ten A320s in 1998 and ten more in 1999. All Northwest A320s will be powered by CFM International CFM56 turbofans. The delivery schedule for the 16 A330s has been pushed back five years, to 2004 and 2005, with eight aircraft to be delivered in each year.
The hushkit agreement calls for P&W to equip 20 727-200s and 12 DC-9-30s with JT8D hushkits to meet Stage 3 noise restrictions. The DC-9 hushkit, is manufactured by, Safety Harbor Florida-based ABS Partnership. ABS is a partnership consisting of Airborne Express, Burbank Nacelle and Sanfran. The 727 hushkit is provided by Federal Express Aviation Services. Consideration is also being given to hushkitting some Northwest DC-9-50s, still in service.
"This revision to our aircraft order book better matches our fleet to our marketing plans," says Michael Levine, Northwest's marketing chief. He says that, over the next few years, the A320s will replace narrow-body aircraft, which are being retired.
Source: Flight International
