Kevin O'Toole/LONDON
South African Airways (SAA) has widened the brief of the task force set up to re-evaluate its fleet plan to include new Airbus A330/A340 types. This confirms that the long-delayed order for Boeing 777-200s could be revised.
The airline says that it will include a smaller type in the equation, to run on routes within Africa, alongside a larger aircraft to replace ageing Boeing 747s on longer-haul services. That has brought the longer-range A330-200 and stretched A340-500/600 into the frame, neither of which were previously available.
The order for four 777s, with three options, was placed in December 1995, but has met delays because of political shifts in SAA's state-owned parent. The planned delivery dates, which would have seen two aircraft already in the fleet, have been lost and no new schedule has been agreed.
A new plan will now be put to the airline's board, possibly at its next meeting towards the end of this month, with the hope of then beginning negotiations with manufacturers. Some within the airline warn, however, that the selection could continue to be delayed as SAA begins its privatisation process at the end of March with the search for an international airline partner. That is not expected to be completed until October.
During the original competition, the existing A340-300 - powered by the CFM International CFM56 - was considered underpowered, especially given the hot-and-high conditions at the main Johannesburg hub. The new A340 models, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500s, are stronger contenders and would offer commonality with the A330-200 twinjet. There is no equivalent 777 option to the 250-seat A330-200.
The South African carrier is still investigating how far it can go in altering the 777 order. "I don't see us getting out of the order at this stage," says an airline source.
Although the airline plays down the problems caused by the delivery delays, sources close to the carrier say that the absence of the 777s has "really hurt". New capacity is due to arrive this year with two 747-400s, while two ex-Egyptair 767-200s have been added on lease. The need for a smaller type than the 777 is in part driven by SAA's success in expanding African routes to destinations such as Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Nigerian capital Lagos should be added in April and other destinations, such as Mumbai in India and Tel Aviv in Israel, could require smaller aircraft.
Source: Flight International
