Aeroflot To Split Order Between Boeing And Airbus

[TAP-A343]

September 20, 2006

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot will buy long-range airliners from both Boeing and Airbus, Chief Executive Valery Okulov said on Wednesday.

"What we are talking about is buying both Boeing and Airbus. From 2010-2012, 22 Boeings, and from 2012-2016, 22 Airbuses," Okulov told reporters at an economic forum in the Siberian city of Irkutsk.

Okulov said that state-controlled Aeroflot had already closed tender talks with Boeing to buy Boeing 787s, while negotiations on buying a batch of Airbus A350 XWB aircraft still had further to go.

"We proposed to Boeing and Airbus that we proceed to preparing contract documents -- but with Airbus we will have to rework the terms," Okulov said.

Okulov's comments came after Alexander Lebedev, who controls 30 percent of Aeroflot through his National Reserve Corporation, said on Tuesday he had reserved the Boeings on behalf of Aeroflot in order to avert the collapse of the USD$3 billion purchase.


(Reuters)

Source: http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1158736487.html

Another episode of this saga?

Regards.

[hkgspotter1]

Great news, should keep everyone happy... HAHAH everyone happy. NEVER.

[ATLcenter]

Can anyone say, 'politically motivated'?

It's sad that countries and airlines do this.

[screaming_emu]

Can anyone say, 'politically motivated'?

It's sad that countries and airlines do this.

really...who cares what their reasoning is for buying planes? Kinda silly to get pissed off about I think.

[DAL767-400ER]

As I said on another forum, I'll believe an SU order when I see a 787 or A350 in SU colors waiting at a gate at SVO Terminal 3, SU/Skyteam's future Moscow terminal, ready to take up SU pax on SU tickets boarding a flight under a SU flight number, operated with SU crews. Until then...

[pkonowrocki]

That's pretty smart. Anyway I'm happy I will get to see both of them in Aeroflot's colors. And I hope to catch them in YYZ soon :P

[TAP-A343]

This seems like a Chinese kind of order.

Cheers.

[AA 1818]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Oooooooookkkk! Yeah, let's wait and see. I very much doubt that what we see hear is what will happen. I can only see the whole "SU cancels order" thread starting soon. BTW, I do not mean to start an A vs B war (so don't start one - to all of those thinking about starting one - and if you choose to reply do so intelligently and intellectually) , why are they ordering both? I mean, they are competitiors, why put the airline at higher operating costs when you could simplify the fleet? Also, why commit to the A350 now when no one knows what the aircraft will be capable of, or rather, when the aircraft will actually be available? I.E. When there is so much uncertainty regarding the product, why make such a large committment to the project?

[DAL767-400ER]

They plan for both competitors because they need those planes asap.
Of course, that's another point to ponder, seeing as how they have been needing these planes since 2003, could then have gotten them in 2008 (787) and now will be forced to wait for until at least 2011 (787) or 2012/13 (A350UHXWLRBJ).
But at the same time, contrary to their "immediate demand" for new widebodies, they are not even trying to get used planes, or 767/A330s at super discounts, so that should tell you that those guys in charge at SU don't really know just what they are doing.

[uy707]

They put at use some old habits when they took up both the AN10 "Ukraine" and the IL18 before ultimately settling on the Ilyushin.
Alain