Czech grabs 2004 Airbus option
Czech Airlines has decided to exercise the advantageous option arising from its 2004 purchase contract with Airbus SAS, and has reserved eight Airbus A319 aircraft to be supplied in 2011-2012. The conditions of the supply of the eight aircraft on the basis of the option are - given the market developments - even better than those of the original 12 aircraft from the 2004 tender. Czech Airlines thus continues in the renewal of its medium-haul fleet.
The continuation of the gradual replacement of the Boeing 737s, as the workhorse on the fleet, with the more modern, new-generation A320/319 aircraft, will also lead to the uniformity of the Czech Airlines fleet, which alone will significantly reduce the costs of maintenance and operations. With the planned replacement, the average age of the medium-haul aircraft should be about eight years in 2012.
“Czech Airlines will need the new aircraft in 2011 - 2012,” said Czech Airlines’ President, Radom’r La?ák. Exercising the option is the most advantageous way of acquiring them. “All of the steps that we are implementing at Czech Airlines, from savings, through restructuring, to the sale of unneeded inventory, we take with a single goal in mind, that of ensuring a good starting position for the airline’s further development. A competitive aircraft fleet is an integral part of that,” added Radom’r La?ák.
Czech Airlines obtained the advantageous option for the purchase of further aircraft in its present contract with Airbus SAS, on the basis of a tender for the supply of 12 Airbuses from the A320 family, signed in 2004. Czech Airlines has been accepting those aircraft one by one. Eight new Airbuses from the tender have already become members of its fleet: six A320s for 162 passengers, and two A319s for 135 passengers. Czech Airlines will obtain the last four A319 aircraft next year. “The A320 is one of the most modern aircraft used by airline carriers on medium-haul flights,” noted the Vice-President for the Technical division, Tomá? Heczko.
Currently, Czech Airlines is operating 50 aircraft. The workhorse of its fleet has been the medium-haul Boeing 737, but these are gradually being replaced with new Airbus A320s and A319s. Aside from medium-haul aircraft, Czech Airlines is also operating short-haul ATR 42s and ATR 72s, and long-haul Airbus A310s. A partial replacement of the short-haul fleet took place in 2004 - 2005; the decision on the potential replacement of the long-haul fleet will be made by the Airline this September.
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