Andrew Doyle/SINGAPORE
Qantas has negotiated a deal with Airbus to delay, by seven months, the start of deliveries of its recently ordered A330 fleet, to November 2002. The first of the 13 General Electric CF6-80E1-powered twinjets had been due to arrive next April.
The decision to postpone the deliveries comes in the wake of a series of profit warnings by the Australian flag-carrier as it grapples with increased domestic competition, a weak Australian dollar and a worsening economic outlook in its key overseas markets.
While Qantas continues to search for ways to reduce capital expenditure, another factor in the decision to delay the A330s is an upgrade to the aircraft's flight deck which is due to be introduced in mid-2002, say industry sources.
The enhancement, which will first enter service on the A340-600 in June next year, will see the existing cockpit cathode ray tube displays replaced with flat-screen liquid crystal display units which are more reliable and cheaper to maintain.
In addition, the analogue standby artificial horizon, airspeed and altimeter instruments are to be replaced by a single solid-state integrated standby device.
Sources say Qantas was to have received some of its A330s before the changes were implemented on the production line, but the delay means that all of its aircraft can be built to a common specification.
Airbus and Qantas decline to comment on the rescheduling of the order.
The Australian airline announced last November that it was ordering seven A330-200s and six larger -300s for use on regional and domestic routes (Flight International, 5-11 December 2000). The acquisition formed part of a larger deal with the European manufacturer, which included A380s for delivery from 2006. At the same time orders were placed with Boeing for six Longer Range 747-400s.
The carrier issued a profits warning last month, after revealing a 22% fall in profits for the first half of the financial year. Qantas is shedding 5% of its workforce as part of a cost-cutting drive.
Source: Flight International
