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BA avventer avgjørelse om A380
http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=1106
BA CEO says carrier not certain future fleet plans will include A380
Friday May 20, 2005
British Airways CEO Rod Eddington watered down Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy's suggestion that it is "not a matter of if but of when" BA will order the A380.Speaking at the Airbus Technical Briefing in Toulouse Tuesday, Leahy told media that "one of the biggest hubs of the A380 will be London Heathrow. It's just not possible for BA not to operate the aircraft in BA colors" (ATWOnline, May 19). But Eddington told this website yesterday that the airline wants to see the A380 in service before it makes an "informed decision. We have concerns about the airport's ability to handle 600 passengers."
In terms of its fleet, Eddington said BA's near-term focus is looking for a 767 replacement. "However, we are just putting flat beds in our 767s and they will be in service for another five years, while the 747-400s will be in service for another ten," he said. He suggested that BA's 767 replacements could even be more 777s rather than 787s or A350s. "It could be dash 300ERs, which is a superb 747-400 replacement, and more dash 200s and even the dash 200LR."
Conceding that the long-haul fleet upgrade decision "will not be made on my watch," Eddington said BA and its board also remain focused on debt reduction: "We have reduced our debt from £6.5 billion ($11.9 billion) to £3 billion in three years but we will continue to invest in product improvements."
by Geoffrey Thomas
http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=1106
BA CEO says carrier not certain future fleet plans will include A380
Friday May 20, 2005
British Airways CEO Rod Eddington watered down Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy's suggestion that it is "not a matter of if but of when" BA will order the A380.Speaking at the Airbus Technical Briefing in Toulouse Tuesday, Leahy told media that "one of the biggest hubs of the A380 will be London Heathrow. It's just not possible for BA not to operate the aircraft in BA colors" (ATWOnline, May 19). But Eddington told this website yesterday that the airline wants to see the A380 in service before it makes an "informed decision. We have concerns about the airport's ability to handle 600 passengers."
In terms of its fleet, Eddington said BA's near-term focus is looking for a 767 replacement. "However, we are just putting flat beds in our 767s and they will be in service for another five years, while the 747-400s will be in service for another ten," he said. He suggested that BA's 767 replacements could even be more 777s rather than 787s or A350s. "It could be dash 300ERs, which is a superb 747-400 replacement, and more dash 200s and even the dash 200LR."
Conceding that the long-haul fleet upgrade decision "will not be made on my watch," Eddington said BA and its board also remain focused on debt reduction: "We have reduced our debt from £6.5 billion ($11.9 billion) to £3 billion in three years but we will continue to invest in product improvements."
by Geoffrey Thomas
