News

Just read on Sky news active:

“Air Canada has unveiled plans to place an aircraft order for 105 jets before Christmas……

Together with it’s Star Alliance partner carriers, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and SAS, it would boost their joint orders to almost 250 planes.

The four were expected to have placed a joint order for 100 new 70- to 110- seater aircraft, with an option for a further 100, byt the end of the year, in a bid to reduce purchasing costs.

The worlds top four aircraft manafacturers – Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier and Embraer – are all vying for the lucrative deal, potentially over £6bn.

“We look forward to giving some presents out by Christmas”, said Air Canada cheif executive Robert Milton.

Austrian Airlines said it would order 15-20 jets in 2004, while Scandanavian airline SAS has penned on an order for 10 jets. Lufthansa refused to comment.

“If Air Canada goes to 105, then it might exceed 200 all in all”, said Austrian Airlines cheif executive Vagn Soerensen, who is leading negotiations for the four airlines.

An official from Air Canada said the working number for the joint order was now around 250 planes, with more firm orders than options.

Milton added that the airline had already decided who it planned to do the order with, but was finalising paper work.

Whgen asked if there was a possibility that Air Canada’s order might be split among various manafacturers Milton said “definatly”.

Boeing is hoping to secure orders for it’s 717 model, Airbus is offering it’s smallesr model, the A318, while Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer is offering it’s 170 and 190.
Canada’s Bombardier is in the hunt for orders for it’s CRJ700 or CRJ900.”

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Well I must say I was quite shocked about Air Canada, over 100 seems like quite alot to me as I have been led to believe that they haven’t been doing so well recently??

Also in the news this morning, Friends of the Earth and the Society for the Protection of Rural England have called upon Chancellor Gordon Brown to increase passenger tax duty to counteract the effects that air pollution from aircraft is having on the enviroment.

Final Announcemnts for the future of Britains Air industry are to be included in the governments White Paper reform at the end of this month.

Enviromentalists are worried that the reform will see one or two new runways being built in the South of England. Bringing more pollution.

FD
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