AF/KLM Potential 80-100 Aircraft Order

[Eric Diffoot]

Air France-KLM Looking At Long-Haul Order


Jun 23, 2010

By Andrew Compart [email protected]

Air France-KLM is “revitalizing” a request for proposals (RFP) on 80 to 100 Boeing 787-900 or Airbus A350-900 aircraft that likely would be delivered to the airline between 2015 and 2025, KLM President and CEO Peter Hartman says. The airline had suspended the search last year, in part because it wanted more than one 787 engine option, which GE now provides, he says. The financial crisis also played a role in delaying the RFP, as did the airline’s desire for more specificity from the manufacturers, particularly on the dates they can deliver the aircraft. Hartman says the airline wants the manufacturers to provide all of the information and answers by the end of the year, so Air France-KLM can make a final decision within the next 12 months. That’s in part because the airline might want to start the replacements a bit earlier, in 2014 or even the end of the 2013, says Hartman, who made the comments in an interview June 22 in New York as part of a SkyTeam press event to celebrate the alliance’s 10th anniversary. Hartman says Air France-KLM plans to use the order to replace KLM’s 280-seat Boeing 747 Combi aircraft and MD-11s, as well as Air France A340s and probably the airline group’s oldest A330s. Photo credit: Boeing

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awx/2010/06/22/awx_06_22_2010_p0-236002.xml&headline=Air%20France-KLM%20Looking%20At%20Long-Haul%20Order&channel=comm

Bets are on a split order like UA did.

[larsv]

AF/KLM is going for the 787-900 because in an interview with a dutch site Peter Hartman says they are annoyed about the slow stream of information they are getting from boeing about the 787-9 because the want to order a few 787-9 very quickly to replace thee A340,MD-11 and 747 combi

the dutch part of the interview:

In een interview met Luchtvaartnieuws.nl hekelde KLM-topman Peter Hartman de trage informatievoorziening van Boeing rond de 787-9. Air France-KLM wil op korte termijn enkele tientallen 787-9’s aanschaffen, ter vervanging van de Airbus A340, MD-11 en Boeing 747 Combi.

full dutch article:

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?ID=35461