Austrian selects Fokker 100
Austrian to replace MD-80 fleet with Fokker 100sKurt Hofmann, Vienna (24Feb04, 09:46 GMT)
Austrian Airlines Group is to replace its seven Boeing MD-80 aircraft with Fokker 100s in a bid to take advantage of the second-hand aircraft market.
The group which incorporates Austrian, Lauda Air and regional carrier Austrian Arrows - operates a diverse range of aircraft types across manufacturers. These include Airbus A310, A320 family, A330 and A340 aircraft; Boeing 737s, 767, 777s and MD-80s, together with Fokker 70s, Bombardier Dash 8s and CRJs.
It has now decided to replace its seven MD-80s four MD-87s, a pair of MD-83s and a single MD-82 with Fokker 100s.
Austrian VP flight operations and chief pilot, Gustav Baldauf, says: The aircraft will come direct from the Mojave Dessert and will be overhauled to our standards.
The Fokker 100s will cost around $2.5 million per aircraft, and the company hopes to be able to sell its MD-80s for between $4-8 million each. We know that our aircraft are well maintained and the MD-80s are in excellent shape. So if a client takes the aircraft, they can fly with it immediately.
Deliveries of the Fokker 100ss are scheduled for next year. The aircraft will also fill the gap between the Fokker 70s operated by Austrian and Austrian Arrows, and the newest aircraft to join its fleet, the Airbus A319.