[updated:LAST EDITED ON 27-06-02 AT 07:35 PM (GMT)]EasyJet founder threw Airbus and Boeing into a pitched battle for his buisness yesterday after he increased his plans to buy new aircraft by 50%.He originally wanted to buy 85 new aircraft, but now he says he wants 120 because he needed the extra aircraft for the GO fleet.
Airbus and Boeing are both desperate to win buisness, and Stellios’s order has a book value of £3.6billion.EasyJet currently uses 737s but its understood that Stelios is considering the A320 range of aircraft which seat between 107 and 185 passengers.
He is said to be haggling over a price,but he will make a descision within months.Stelios also claimed yesterday that Airbus was deliberately making aircaft at a loss to boost its market share.Airbus buisness has overtaken Boeing since September 11th.
Yesterday the manufacturer said that it had beenale to weather the downturn in the airline buisness because it makes more planes than its US rival with fewer staff.A spokesman said:”After September 11th, we only cut 500 staff. We are still on target to produce roughly the same number of aircrft as last year.”
Boeing,on the other hand, has ben forced to axe 30,00 jobs after seeing dramatic drops in orders.Airbus which currently makes 60% of the world’s aircraft (is that correct?)has an order book worth an estimated £35billion.
By: Benair316P - 30th June 2002 at 14:11
RE: £3.6bn Air War
I think with low cost airlines who want to stay efficient and keep their costs LOW (some of the time), an all one-type fleet is essential. Despite the fact that I prefer the A320 family to the B737!
Regards
Ben
By: andrewm - 28th June 2002 at 18:52
RE: £3.6bn Air War
I really hope Stelios sticks with 737 but moves to the -900 series as it does carry alot of people also and would be keeping fleet commonality for engineer wise. I would say there would be a small increse in price if Stelios got a mixed fleet. Look at Ryan Air they have bought -800’s which carry more and havent had downturns in profit. There must be something in keeping fleet the same!
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June 27, 2002 at 7:35 pm