JAL to order 7E7's

Somewhat interesting, given China Southern likes the A32x… they planning to get rid of them?

BOEING’S ON A ROLL

China Southern Airlines Co.to buy 45 Boeing aircraft

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. (1055.HK: Quote, Profile, Research) , China’s largest carrier by fleet, said on Wednesday it had agreed to buy 45 Boeing Co. (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) jets, the latest big Asian order for the U.S. aerospace giant.
The order is worth at least $2.6 billion at list prices, though airlines commonly negotiate discounts, especially with large purchases.

Asia has emerged as a key battleground in Boeing’s bid to recover market share from European arch rival Airbus (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) , now the world’s leading commercial jet maker.

The China Southern order was the latest in a series of coups in the region for Boeing, which in January signed a preliminary agreement with China worth about $7.2 billion to sell up to 60 of its newest wide-body plane, the 787, to 6 Chinese airlines.

Elsewhere in Asia, Air-India last month approved the purchase of nearly $7 billion in Boeing jets.

Boeing, which replaced its head of sales late last year, has scored a string of international order successes lately and its shares are trading close to their highest level in a year.

The China Southern aircraft would be delivered between 2006 and 2008, the airline said in a statement published in the official Shanghai Securities News.

China Southern (600029.SS: Quote, Profile, Research) (ZNH.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will buy twelve 737-700 aircraft and 33 737-800 aircraft, it said. Fifteen of the 737-800 craft — which can carry up to 189 passengers — will be delivered to China Southern’s unit, Xiamen Airlines.

The list price for the short-to-medium range 737-700 craft was $50.5 million-$59 million, while the price for the 737-800 aircraft was $61.5 million-$69.5 million, China Southern said.

“The purchases would increase China Southern’s capacity by 15 percent,” China Southern said in the statement.

The airlines would use bank loans to buy the aircraft, but had yet to sign any agreements with lenders, it said, adding it would disclose related information later.

China Southern in March said it planned to lease 25 airplanes including 10 Boeing 737s, 5 Airbus A320-200s and 10 Airbus A321-200 planes.

China Southern’s Shanghai-listed shares closed at 3.58 yuan on Tuesday.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=8448334

SkyEurope Airlines orders up to 32 Next-Generation Boeing 737-700s

SkyEurope Airlines, Central Europe’s first low-cost low-fare airline, placed an order for up to 32 new Boeing 737-700 series aircraft. The agreements signed with Boeing and GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) include 16 firm orders for aircraft to be delivered in 2006 and 2007, and 16 purchase rights for aircraft to be delivered in 2008 and 2009. Out of the 16 firm orders, 12 aircraft will be financed by GECAS.

The total new airplane order is valued at US$ 880 million at list prices, and at US$ 1.76 billion if the purchase rights are exercised. SkyEurope, Boeing and GECAS have already executed the final documentation of the agreements.

Out of the 16 firm orders, 12 aircraft will be leased from GECAS operations based in Shannon, Ireland, of which six of the aircraft come from the existing GECAS order book. GECAS ordered six additional Boeing 737-700 aircraft for lease to SkyEurope.

“After an intensive competition and detailed analysis, an attractive proposal from Boeing and our own experience operating the 737, we concluded the Next-Generation 737 is the best airplane to take us along our demanding growth plan,” said Christian Mandl, SkyEurope CEO and co-founder.

Alain Skowronek, SkyEurope chairman and co-founder, added: “Our order of up to 32 new Boeing 737 aircraft will reinforce the predictability of our fast growing business, both in term of aircraft pricing and aircraft availability. SkyEurope will benefit from the efficiencies of the Next-Generation 737, in particular its lower fuel burn, lower maintenance costs but also high reliability allowing for increased asset utilization.”

SkyEurope, Boeing and GECAS celebrated the order at an event in Bratislava today:

“With its acute business sense, proven business model and steady focus on affordable airfares, SkyEurope is very well positioned,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of sales for Europe and Central Asia at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 737 will be a moneymaker for SkyEurope.” added Scott Carson, vice president, Sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Boeing forecasts that Central European countries will require about 570 new airplanes worth about $30.6 billion during the next 20 years. Single-aisle airplanes in the 100- to 150-seat market, such as the 737, will account for 72 percent. Nine percent will be twin-aisle airplanes such as the Boeing 777 and 787, with the remainder being regional jets.

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with SkyEurope by leasing Next-Generation Boeing 737s to a low-cost carrier in the fast growing Central European region,” said Declan Hartnett, senior vice president and region manager, Europe for GECAS.“ GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS), a unit of GE Commercial Finance, is the commercial aircraft financing and leasing business of General Electric Co. With long-standing customer relationships with more than 200 airlines in some 60 countries, GECAS has a fleet of more than 1,300 owned aircraft and offers a full range of aircraft fleet and financing solutions, including operating leases and secured debt financing; engine leasing through its Engine Leasing unit and pilot training through its Aviation Training unit. Worldwide, GECAS has offices in 21 cities worldwide.

http://www.luchtzak.be/article8587.html

Is it possible Fed Ex would have made them an offer they couldn’t refuse?

Ironic that they would dump the MD11’s and keep the DC10’s.

That’s not what most people would mean by the phrase….. and I was answering greekdude’s question about the DC10-40s. 🙂

Nope – they’re still around for now, greekdude.

Well, 6 of them are at any rate. 🙂

funny

My friend, an MD 11 and JAL aficionado mourned the last MD11 flight in october last year. Or was that the dc-10s……

Nope – they’re still around for now, greekdude.

Well, 6 of them are at any rate. 🙂

the Mad Dog 11’s are now history btw

I was not aware of this! Did they dump the DC10-40’s, as well?

JAL firms up its orders:

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q2/nr_050509g.html