Mandarin Airlines, primarily a domestic carrier owned by Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL), has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to four aircraft manufacturers and two leasing firms for 70- to 110-seat regional jets and 110- to 140-seat narrowbody aircraft.
Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer as well as lessors GE Commercial Aviation Services and International Lease Finance have the RFP, says Mandarin’s senior manager corporate and marketing planning Tony Lin, adding that parent CAL will also be involved in the decision-making process.
Lin says mainline aircraft types being considered include the Airbus A318/A319 and Boeing 737-600/700. He says it will take Mandarin about six weeks to review the proposals, which will then be put to top management to decide by year-end on the aircraft types. After that the carrier will decide whether to purchase or lease the aircraft or a combination of both.
Mandarin, which already operates 737-800s, is looking to order between eight and 11 new aircraft for delivery from mid-2007 to mid-2009, the timeframe during which it plans to replace six Fokker 100 regional jets and five Fokker 50 turboprops. The order size will depend on type.
Source: Flight International
