Paris Air Show
Aerospace |
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Finnair
To Order Airbus
Paris (June 15, 1997) -- After several Boeing orders were announced within the last week and a half, Airbus gained partial redemption earlier this week as Finnair announced selection of the European aerospace consortium for 12 aircraft. Finnair had narrowed the field down to the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737 new generation aircraft before ultimately deciding to go with Airbus. The new aircraft will replace Finnair's aging DC-9s. Finnair cited several key factors that led to their decision. From the passenger side, Finnair said the A320 family offered the comfort, working area for cockpit and crews, and a well-designed service area in line with their present needs. They pointed to the fact that the A320 family had the same high-tech flight decks, engines and wing structures, features which Finnair says allows for pilots to be trained to fly all three sizes on the same program. The choice of engine type has been postponed until a later date. The first two plane orders are for the 188-seater A321s which are scheduled to be in use by the beginning of 1999. The remaining aircraft will be delivered at the rate of about four per year. Finnair's 12-order agreement is estimated to be worth between $480 to
$700 million based on plane selection. The deal also includes an option
for 24 more aircraft to replace 25 MD80s currently operated by the airline. |
