newstodate.aero
Dec 21, 2011 (newstodate): The cancellation of the Airbus conversion project for A320 did leave projected launch operator West Atlantic shaken - but not stirred....
-We can basically subscribe to the reasons for Airbus' decision as recently reported by newstodate in the story with Alan Pardoe. The issue of aircraft residual values is crucial to any project concerning conversion of passenger aircraft to freighters, says Russell Ladkin, West Atlantic Sales & Operations Director.
-Now, with the current developments in the global economy the pressure on our company to consider what is to become the alternative to the converted Airbus A320 has at least temporarily eased somewhat. But we can safely state that whenever we obtain firm customer commitments to add a larger jet freighter to our fleet, we will indeed be ready to move.
-We have actually already for years been operating one Boeing 737-300 freighter and will add a second aircraft shortly, and we are ready to consider conversion of either Boeing 737 or MD-80 passenger aircraft once so demanded by the market.
-The Airbus A320 would indeed have been a perfect solution, but given the higher-than-expected residual value of this aircraft the Boeing or MD solutions remain attractive alternatives.
-Looking into fuel-efficiency, the A320 is of course superior to the older Boeing and MD alternatives. But most often, freighters accumulate only limited flight hours, compared to passenger aircraft, so the crux is rather the fixed investments that are very much lower in the case of used Boeing 737 and MD-80 aircraft that are available in the market in growing numbers. For two cargo flights of some two-three hours per day, fuel costs are less crucial compared to, say, nine or ten flying hours per day in the case of passenger aircraft, says Mr Ladkin.
-We can basically subscribe to the reasons for Airbus' decision as recently reported by newstodate in the story with Alan Pardoe. The issue of aircraft residual values is crucial to any project concerning conversion of passenger aircraft to freighters, says Russell Ladkin, West Atlantic Sales & Operations Director.
-Now, with the current developments in the global economy the pressure on our company to consider what is to become the alternative to the converted Airbus A320 has at least temporarily eased somewhat. But we can safely state that whenever we obtain firm customer commitments to add a larger jet freighter to our fleet, we will indeed be ready to move.
-We have actually already for years been operating one Boeing 737-300 freighter and will add a second aircraft shortly, and we are ready to consider conversion of either Boeing 737 or MD-80 passenger aircraft once so demanded by the market.
-The Airbus A320 would indeed have been a perfect solution, but given the higher-than-expected residual value of this aircraft the Boeing or MD solutions remain attractive alternatives.
-Looking into fuel-efficiency, the A320 is of course superior to the older Boeing and MD alternatives. But most often, freighters accumulate only limited flight hours, compared to passenger aircraft, so the crux is rather the fixed investments that are very much lower in the case of used Boeing 737 and MD-80 aircraft that are available in the market in growing numbers. For two cargo flights of some two-three hours per day, fuel costs are less crucial compared to, say, nine or ten flying hours per day in the case of passenger aircraft, says Mr Ladkin.