Breaking News: IAG could order A350's this week

Great news for Airbus, pleased to hear it. But I wouldn’t hold your breath for JAL.

Well it took them 3 weeks to do it, but they’ve done it… Now we just have to wait for JAL :dev2:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/22/uk-iag-idUKBRE93L0SM20130422

Great news for both Boeing and BA, I expect another A380 order is on the horizon too.

A fleet of 12 Airbus wide-bodies almost isn’t worth the trouble where commonality is concerned when every other long haul you fly is a Boeing. I can realistically see another commitment for 12 being signed bringing them on par in terms of numbers with Lufthansa, Singapore and Qantas.
Either that or perhaps a large A350 order? Maybe with a hundred odd cheap A320NEOs to sweeten the deal? :diablo:

Why would BA have a good deal on the787
Theirs have not been delayed yet and since aircraft on the line will
incorprate any mods, may not be.

it was always a case that BA were in need of updating their fleet, the 744’s and 767’s are not getting any younger. Suspect that with the delays etc, they good a nice deal on the 787 order though.

Good news for Boeing and the 787 programme. It is interesting that these are replacing some of the 747s. Is this right-sizing of the fleet in response to increased competition from Middle East carriers?

In related news International Airlines Group (IAG) today reached a deal to convert 18x Boeing 787 options into firm orders in an order worth $4bn (£2.6bn) to replace some of British Airways long haul Boeing 747 fleet between 2017 and 2021.

IAG are also in talks with Boeing regarding ordering some more Boeing 787’s later in the year for Iberia once it has completed its cost-cutting programme of the Spanish Airline.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/apr/03/iag-boeing-dreamliner-deal

Do IAG need an exact fit in between, or can they live with something a little bigger (i.e more A380’s), and something a little smaller?!
The 777x may be an improvement, but it has to be asked, if IAG are on a tight timetable, how much do they believe Boeing can deliver on target?

A350-1000 just doesn’t compete against 777-9X, it competes against -8X (where it is basically superior).
9X is really competing against, or splitting the market with, the 747-8l.
Boeing pushes the commonality argument between the 8/9, but that goes for A350 as well with the -900.
(Boeing likes to point out differences in A350 models, but I simply don’t believe those are substantial enough to negate commonality benefits)
Boeing’s argument only applies for an operator that simply has no need for the 900 but does have need for the 350-1000/8X and 9X.
For everybody else, A350-900+1000, and 777-9X (or 747-8l) if they need it, makes more sense.
Which is fine, all these planes have their niche. The situation does show the fear of more producers coming on the market (UAC, COMAC).

A350-800 seems similarly dubious to 777-8X, it only makes sense if you are already operating -900/1000 AND aren’t operating any 787. IMHO, the hypothetical A330NEO would actually have a solid market position/niche, unlike the -800 (not to say that it would displace the 787 in it’s segment), certainly a Freighter version would be a shoe-in. To develop both -800 and A330NEO would be competing against themself (like Boeing is with 9X and 747-8l to some extent) but simply not developing the -800 and doing an NEO of 330 seems like a net win to me, especially since it would leave the A350 lines clear for 900/1000 and the 330 line can be used for the NEO. 800’s would need to be discounted to compete against 787 (certainly for anybody who operates other 787 models), and is just not as viable a profit source.

…And then UAC is set for new announcements at the next MAKS on their mid-haul widebody Ekojet with COMAC risk-sharing/participation…

The A350-1000 isn’t going to replace all the 747-400s and A340-600s. There is a place for the 777-9X to replace the capacity left with the last 747s are gone.

So what do we reckon? A stopgap until the 777X is available, or is IAG seriously considering batting for the other team?
It’s strange, for months Walsh’s rhetoric has made it sound like they’d be ordering the 777X over the A350.

I expect the old boys in Chicago are scratching their heads this morning :p

If true, this is very good news for AI.