Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH
DAIMLER-BENZ Aerospace (DASA) says that it will go ahead with a new regional-jet programme together with Korean and Chinese partners, even if its other European rivals fail to come on board.
The challenge follows DASA's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea's Samsung Aerospace Industries to perform a joint feasibility study on a new regional-jet. The DASA MoU is the latest in a long line of alliance talks Samsung had had with Western aircraft builders. A similar agreement has already been signed with Aviation Industries of China.
The programme is intended to build a 100- to 120-seat airliner early in the next decade.
The German move is seen as an attempt to regain the initiative on regional jets, following the tie-up of British Aerospace and ATR to form what they see as the "nucleus" of a new European-wide regional aircraft consortium.
DASA says that it still hopes for a single European teaming, preferably sitting beneath the Airbus consortium. It adds that the "door is open" to talks with BAe/ATR, but insists it must take the lead on any new regional-jet programme through its Fokker subsidiary.
One source at Daimler-Benz voices some of the frustration at the BAe/ATR deal: "We were always saying that Europe had to team up and consolidate. Instead ATR and BAe teamed up, saying we could join them on their conditions."
BAe/ATR says that it will re-open talks with the German group once its own alliance is in place.
It is not clear how the DASA agreements may affect talks hosted by Boeing in the region. These seek to bring together South Korea and China, Japan and Taiwan, under the umbrella of its New Small Airliner (NSA) study.
Source: Flight International
