United Parcel Service is in talks with Europe’s Airbus to cancel more than USD$1.6 billion in orders for A300-600 aircraft, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Citing people familiar with the situation, the story said UPS recently told Airbus and engine supplier Pratt & Whitney it no longer wanted at least 20 of 90 Airbus A300s it ordered in 1998 and 2001.
As some of those airplanes were already in the early stages of production, the carrier was told it could cancel no more than 16, according to the story, which cited an unnamed person saying that the orders did not have cancellation provisions.
UPS had taken delivery of 32 of the planes by the end of January. Eight more planes are scheduled for delivery this year and the company has orders for 50 more, said spokesman Norman Black who declined to comment on the story.
“We have a contract with Airbus. That contract is still in place,” he said, noting that the terms of its agreement with Airbus were confidential.
By: MSR777 - 3rd March 2004 at 21:26
I’ve spoken to a few pilots (all British) who told me of their preference for the Airbus products over the American aircraft.
All worked for the same British carrier. As I’m no pilot I take their word for it.
By: TTP - 3rd March 2004 at 04:40
Hand,
We all recognize the role politics play in this global economy, and UPS is a big global player. The A-300 is not a bad jet, the real problem many of the UPS crews had, was we are already operating a large fleet of 757/767’s Why buy an A-300-600 that is essentially the same size as the 767, with many shortcomings. Why add another type to the fleet, and a totally different manufacturer….You had to hear all the gripes our mechanics had about the Bus’s, mostly because they are toltally unfamiliar with the Airbus product. The pilot’s don’t have any huge problem with Airbus in general, just the people running our airline in Atlanta who seem to regularly make these hair-brained decisions……that usually bite them in the ass later on.
TTP
By: A380!! - 2nd March 2004 at 21:28
I only have two words to say to Airbus. “Ha Ha!” **please note that punctuation (!) is not a word thus there are two words in that remark. (C) A380!!TM
😀
Regards,
A380!!
By: Hand87_5 - 2nd March 2004 at 20:03
Originally posted by Whiskey Delta
I’ve never met a 757/767 pilot that complained about the aircraft. The A300 on the other hand…..
I won’t argument on this WD, you certainly know better than me. It was just an assumption..
By: greekdude1 - 2nd March 2004 at 20:01
The question I have is, are/were the complaints geared towards the older A300’s only or even towards the newer generation A300-600R’s? Or both, perhaps?
By: Whiskey Delta - 2nd March 2004 at 19:58
Originally posted by Hand87_5
It might be true. However it might be easy to find some Boeing operator telling you the same kind of story.
I’ve never met a 757/767 pilot that complained about the aircraft. The A300 on the other hand…..
By: Hand87_5 - 2nd March 2004 at 19:55
Correct.
By: greekdude1 - 2nd March 2004 at 19:14
The A300-600R remains in production, only fullfilling freighter orders. I believe the last passenger airline to take delivery of a -600R was JAS.
By: Jeanske_SN - 2nd March 2004 at 19:09
Aie! I didn’t knew that the A300 is still in production. What cockpit does it have? I hope DHL takes them over :).
By: Hand87_5 - 2nd March 2004 at 18:12
Originally posted by TTP
Take this from one “in the know” The A-300 order was a political decision from the start. UPS was trying to curry favor with the EU. Think about it, we had a fleet of 767’s why buy an A-300? I’ll tell you why, Airbus sold them for the price of a 737!! to keep the A-300 production line running a few more years. Then guess what happennned? UPS begins to realize the A-300 is not the plane its suppossed to be! Too slow, short range, and poor cargo compartment environmentals…too hot back there to ship certain products…….not to mention ongoing maintenance issues, (our planes are NEW not USED) and I have yet to meet the pilot who is impressed with the aircraft in general, all seem to feel its a big step down from the 757/767…..This is what happens when you let the bean-counters make decisions instead of the folks who know whats going on! You get what you pay for!
TTP
It might be true. However it might be easy to find some Boeing operator telling you the same kind of story.
This decision being political? Sure , all of them are.
When you make the the decision to sign a check of several millions of $, believe me the technical aspect is a tiny part of the deal.
In some contracts , the politician are also part of the negociation (Should say Backshisch (spelling ??) and it makes the process even more complicated. Look AI fleet renewal process on-going for years …
By: greekdude1 - 2nd March 2004 at 17:54
Originally posted by TTP
Take this from one “in the know”
I take it you work for UPS, TTP?
Originally posted by TTP
The A-300 order was a political decision from the start. UPS was trying to curry favor with the EU.
When I was working there back in ’95, I heard that the reason they changed their 757 engine order from Pratts to RR’s was for this very reason.
By: Bmused55 - 2nd March 2004 at 12:09
Originally posted by TTP
Take this from one “in the know” The A-300 order was a political decision from the start. UPS was trying to curry favor with the EU. Think about it, we had a fleet of 767’s why buy an A-300? I’ll tell you why, Airbus sold them for the price of a 737!! to keep the A-300 production line running a few more years. Then guess what happennned? UPS begins to realize the A-300 is not the plane its suppossed to be! Too slow, short range, and poor cargo compartment environmentals…too hot back there to ship certain products…….not to mention ongoing maintenance issues, (our planes are NEW not USED) and I have yet to meet the pilot who is impressed with the aircraft in general, all seem to feel its a big step down from the 757/767…..This is what happens when you let the bean-counters make decisions instead of the folks who know whats going on! You get what you pay for!
TTP
You just brightened my day.
By: TTP - 2nd March 2004 at 12:06
Take this from one “in the know” The A-300 order was a political decision from the start. UPS was trying to curry favor with the EU. Think about it, we had a fleet of 767’s why buy an A-300? I’ll tell you why, Airbus sold them for the price of a 737!! to keep the A-300 production line running a few more years. Then guess what happennned? UPS begins to realize the A-300 is not the plane its suppossed to be! Too slow, short range, and poor cargo compartment environmentals…too hot back there to ship certain products…….not to mention ongoing maintenance issues, (our planes are NEW not USED) and I have yet to meet the pilot who is impressed with the aircraft in general, all seem to feel its a big step down from the 757/767…..This is what happens when you let the bean-counters make decisions instead of the folks who know whats going on! You get what you pay for!
TTP
By: Bmused55 - 2nd March 2004 at 08:23
Originally posted by pierrepjc
You could be right, read a report last night that there are about 500 to chose from that could fit the bill.
Would make sense. Why spend all that money on 20 planes, when you can convert 60-100 retired Pax planes for the same money.
By: pierrepjc - 2nd March 2004 at 08:04
You could be right, read a report last night that there are about 500 to chose from that could fit the bill.
By: Bmused55 - 2nd March 2004 at 07:39
Perhaps they were just given access to a bunch of retired aircraft in a desert parking lot somewhere.
By: pierrepjc - 2nd March 2004 at 07:37
Sounds like they don’t need the extra capacitiy, or why cancel A300’s when you have smaller/older 757’s, maybe their market share will not support the ordered aircraft.
Paul
By: greekdude1 - 2nd March 2004 at 07:32
They still have 747’s and DC-8’s too. I always see plenty of both at any given time at ONT.
By: greekdude1 - 1st March 2004 at 23:57
Any idea why they are canceling the order? Are they not happy with the type, or something?
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March 1, 2004 at 11:35 pm