Air Berlin orders up to 50 B787s
Tags :
Continental Europe,
Air Berlin
(CAPA) Air Berlin CEO, Joachim Hunold, and CFO, Ulf Hüttmeyer, signed a contract on 07-Jul-07 for the delivery of up to 50 787-8 aircraft. A firm order for 25 aircraft was placed together with options and purchase rights for a further 25 aircraft. Delivery for the 25 firm orders is scheduled for 2013 to 2017. The order is the single largest placed by any European carrier and brings the total number of 787s ordered worldwide to 677.
"With this order, we want to secure the long-term future of the Air Berlin Group’s long-haul capability," declared Joachim Hunold. Hunold emphasised that the order was primarily a future fleet replacement exercise.
The list price for the 25 firm orders is approximately USD4 billion. Due to the size of the order Air Berlin has secured a significant discount although the exact purchase price is the subject of a confidentiality agreement between the parties. Air Berlin CFO, Ulf Hüttmeyer, said that the pre-delivery payments up to 2011 would require the company to pay "a mid double-digit million Dollar amount," for which sufficient liquid assets are available. The financing for the aircraft will follow thereafter.
How many of the Aircraft will, in the end, be leased or purchased, will depend on the prevailing market and will only be decided closer to delivery. The interest of both banks and leasing companies in such financing is already significant.
The "Dreamliner" which Boeing has been developing since 2004, uses new Aerodynamics, lighter composite materials and particularly efficient engines. 20% less fuel per seat is consumed compared with similarly sized aircraft with a correspondent reduction in CO2 emissions. The consumption per passenger per 100 kilometres is only 2.5 litres in the 787-8 version ordered by Air Berlin which currently comes with 272 seats (30 in Business Class). The Aircraft has a maximum range of 15,200 kilometres and is intended by Air Berlin to be used primarily on long distance routes.
Joachim Hunold: "By choosing the "Dreamliner" we are going beyond all theoretical discussions and in the absence of statutory regulation are making a significant contribution to protecting the environment. The aviation industry has once again proved that economically sound decisions can also be ecologically beneficial."
Date posted: 09-Jul-07
Other Air Berlin News |
Air Berlin orders up to 50 B787s 
