Posted on 03/15/2007 11:30:02 AM PDT by Alter Kaker
MOSCOW - OAO Aeroflot, eastern Europe's largest airline, plans to buy 22 Airbus SAS A350 XWB planes valued at $4.4 billion to renew and expand its fleet, picking jets from the European planemaker over Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner.
State-controlled Aeroflot plans to sign a firm order in the next few weeks, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Lev Koshlyakov said today. The $4.4 billion figure is based on list prices.
The A350 XWB is Airbus' sixth attempt to come up with a rival to Boeing's 787. Airbus' difficulties in developing a competing model has put the plane five years behind the 787 on scheduled entry into service and left Airbus behind in orders.
"This is very unpleasant for Boeing," said Yelena Sakhnova, a transportation analyst with Deutsche UFG in Moscow. The Aeroflot order is "the first big step which shows that Russia will focus on cooperation with Europe." Bloomberg News Service
Make sure you get a very large cash deposit up front from the Ruskies before you get all excited about this.
I suggest something on the order of 50%.
L
Not as uncomfortable as Aeroflot is going to be waiting 6 or 7 or 8 years for their A350's while the competition is flying Dreamliners.
Or to put it another way Aeroflot placed a vaporware order with Airbus as a way to gain leverage in negotiations over delivery slots and prices with Boeing to get first choice when the invariable cancellations come in...
Dear Russia,
Don't send any money until you have a guaranteed delivery date.
I'd suggest something like 2050 A.D.
STFU you russky! Boeing jets are selling like hotcakes around the world because that damn AirBusCamel keeps crashing and they can't seem to get any newer models actually built! I don't know about you but when I fly I don't particularly like the faint smell of burning electrical wiring.
Aeroflot is betting on a repeat of the A380 lottery.
Place a firm order, pay nothing up front, then hope for compensation cash when the delivery date is pushed back.
"Aeroflot plans $4.4 billion order from Airbus"
What is this, Cartoonland?
Ha Ha Ha.........when the Russians realize the 350xwb will be delivered in about 2020 and it will not perform to the capabilities of the 787, they will be the ones with the unpleasant feeling. This is just more or Vlad Putins assault on the US. Sell the iranians nuke plants, sell the syrians anti-tank missles, sell the Venezuelans anything they can afford, it is all part of a pattern of anti-americanism on their part.
Airbus and Aeroflot.
(snicker)
One has no planes, the other no money. Both are known for being late.
Between this and the $16 billion Qatar deal, Airbus has gotten pledges of over $20 billion today. Not bad for a day's work, but we'll see if the deals actually close.
"This is just more or Vlad Putins assault on the US. Sell the iranians nuke plants, sell the syrians anti-tank missles, sell the Venezuelans anything they can afford, it is all part of a pattern of anti-americanism on their part."
It's actually pro-American. It keeps our defense industry busy and gives our guys more stuff to blow up.
"One has no planes, the other no money. Both are known for being late."
late and drunk
That logo stood for, what, 20 million deaths within the Soviet Union, the complete abrogation of freedom across a continent and a half they directly ruled, and murder & chaos all across the world? Why, of course they'd make a FINE lead-off airline for the latest Airbus plane launch!
(Actually, I think they'll get along fine because the French and Russian labor attitudes match each other perfectly....)
I guess Tupolev and Illyushin are out of the aircraft design business now?
"STFU you russky! Boeing jets are selling like hotcakes around the world because that damn AirBusCamel keeps crashing and they can't seem to get any newer models actually built! I don't know about you but when I fly I don't particularly like the faint smell of burning electrical wiring."
The faint smell of burning electrical wiring? "Smells" like you're talking about Swissair Flight 111, which was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
And, sorry...NO aircraft from ANY manufacturer are "selling like hotcakes" at the moment.
You seem to have a real love for Airbus.
Geopolitics trumps smart business decisions.
You should do some research before making uninformed statements. The Boeing 737 and 787 are selling very well as is the Airbus A320 series.
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