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Qatar Airways studies re-engined A320 alongside CSeries
By Max Kingsley-Jones

Airbus is targeting major A320 family operator Qatar Airways as a potential launch customer for the planned re-engined version of the narrowbody aircraft as it works towards a possible go-ahead by the Farnborough air show in July.

The Qatari flag carrier, meanwhile, is also still evaluating a possible deal for Bombardier's CSeries twinjet.

Qatar Airways operates 25 Airbus single-aisles and has orders for 20 more. Chief executive Akbar Al Baker confirms the airline is studying the proposed upgraded A320 family, which is expected to be offered with CFM International's Leap X advanced turbofan and a version of Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan. Qatar Airways has also had a long-running evaluation of the GTF-powered CSeries.

"We continue discussions with Bombardier about a possible CSeries order this year," says Al Baker. "We are also waiting to hear what Airbus is going to do, as Qatar Airways wants to operate leading-edge technology to get the best seat-mile costs and lowest greenhouse emissions."


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Qatar Airways
As well as lower fuel burn, the A321 would gain a useful range boost, says Al Baker


He adds that the airline may opt for either the CSeries or the re-engined A320 family, or sign for both, and expects to firm up any move this year. If he opts for the CSeries, Al Baker says the airline will avoid being the first customer to introduce the aircraft.

Airbus's chief operating officer customers John Leahy has said he aims to decide on the launch of the new A320 family by Farnborough in July, and that if it goes ahead, the upgrade will be offered as an option on the A319, A320 and A321, delivering a 15% reduction in fuel burn.

Al Baker points out another advantage of the more efficient engines would be to give the largest variant, the 180-seat A321, a useful range boost. This would put its performance on a par with today's A320, he says.

International Aero Engines, in which P&W is a major shareholder, supplies the engines that power Qatar Airways' A320s, but Al Baker says that the airline "is not in love with anybody's engines" and both re-engining powerplant options would be evaluated.

While the prospect of the upgraded A320 becoming a reality looks promising, Al Baker is less convinced about Boeing's proposed 737 re-engining because of its shorter landing gear and more complicated engine installation. "It will be a harder engineering challenge for Boeing than for Airbus," he says.

At the recent Aircraft Finance and Commercial Aviation Conference in Geneva, both airframers played down the firmness of plans to launch the upgrades.

Airbus vice-president marketing Andy Shankland and his Boeing counterpart Randy Tinseth told delegates that neither company had made a decision, many issues need to be resolved and the business case needs to be made before deciding to proceed.

A Farnborough air show outburst by Qatar Airways boss Akbar Al Baker about Pratt & Whitney's intransigence on engine maintenance costs for the Bombardier CSeries has sparked progress in talks that could lead to a substantial surge in the narrowbody airliner's orderbook.

The airline has been in long-running on/off negotiations to become a launch customer for Bombardier's P&W PW1500G geared turbofan powered twinjet, but progress is being made over a key stumbling block, the engine's maintenance cost guarantees.

Qatar Airways had been the subject of much pre-Farnborough speculation about a potential show order - but this was stamped out on day one when Al Baker went public about the fact that concerns over P&W's maintenance cost guarantees were seriously hampering negotiations.

"If the airframe delivers everything we want but the maintenance costs on the engine will be higher than what we want to pay, then we have an issue," said Al Baker in July. "So until we tie up the whole package as one deal, Qatar does not order the aircraft."

Although Bombardier's vice-president for commercial aircraft programmes Ben Boehm says he does not "see these as things you should be negotiating in the public realm", it appears that Al Baker's outburst has had the desired effect.

Boehm is "still very confident that Qatar, Pratt and ourselves are going to come to an amicable agreement". According to industry sources, negotiations between the three are continuing, with P&W now addressing the airline's specific concerns about the engine's costs. "Bombardier is in no way concerned about whether or not there is a maintenance cost issue on the engine," says Boehm.

P&W's GTF brochure claims 20% maintenance cost savings over current engines, due to its cooler-running hot section, which has fewer parts - a saving Qatar Airways wants reflected in any contracted guarantees if it places an order.

Boehm says the CSeries programme remains on track for its order forecast with 90 firm orders and 90 options for the 110- to 149-seat jetliner, adding that one or more orders are still expected before year-end.

The possible upgrade of the medium-haul A320 is designed to compete with Bombardier's new C-Series. Al Baker later confirmed that his concerns related to the aircraft's engines, produced by United Technologies (UTX.N) unit Pratt & Whitney. Qatar was expected to buy C-Series jets at the Farnborough air show in July but plans were scrapped amid what Bombardier described as disagreements between Qatar Airways and the engine maker. [ID:nLDE66I17V]

Qatar Airways plans to increase its orders for the Airbus A380 at next month's Paris air show, and should also finally conclude a deal for the freighter conversion of its A330 passenger fleet. The airline currently holds orders for five A380s, with the first delivery scheduled for 2013.
CEO Akbar Al Baker said he plans to sign "a small order" for additional A380s, with the size still to be finalised but "it won't be a hundred aircraft".
Qatar Airways originally placed its order for the Airbus double-decker in 2001 but deliveries have been progressively pushed back - both at the airline's request and because of production problems. Engine selection is still outstanding, although Al Baker says he expects to choose between Engine Alliance and Rolls-Royce by early next year.
The airline also looks set to resolve its long-running row with Airbus over the conversion of its 29 A330-200 and -300s to freighters. Its A330-200s are due to be replaced from 2012 by Boeing 787s, and Al Baker has been pushing Airbus to launch a "P2F" cargo conversion programme. Although the airframer has been looking to launch a -300P2F conversion, it has been reticent about including the -200 at this stage, claiming insufficient "feedstock" of aircraft to justify a launch.
However, sources familiar with the situation indicate it has also been concerned that the availability of an A330-200P2F could further dampen demand for the already slow-selling new-build -200F. Al Baker said he expects to make an announcement with Airbus at Paris about an A330P2F deal. Once converted, Qatar Airways intends to transfer the A330Fs to its leasing arm. Some of these aircraft are earmarked for operation by its own cargo division, while others will be offered for lease to third parties.
Al Baker said one recipient could be Luxembourg-based Cargolux, with which Qatar Airways is finalising a deal to acquire a 35% stake.
The transaction should "hopefully" be completed in early June, Al Baker says, once regulatory approval is received.
"I will then be able to disclose more details about the tie-up," Al Baker adds.

Rolls-Royce Trent 800, early next year.

Qatar Airways confirme son intérêt pour la CSeries

(Montréal) Le président-directeur général de Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, soutient qu'il ne voit rien pour le moment qui pourrait faire dérailler une future commande d'avions de la CSeries, de Bombardier.

De passage dans la métropole pour le lancement de la liaison Montréal-Doha, le PDG de la société qatariote a confirmé son intérêt maintes fois manifesté pour la CSeries. Qatar Airways avait soulevé l'an dernier certaines interrogations relativement au moteur, mais les réponses ont satisfait le transporteur.

«Nous avons été inondés par les dossiers de commandes d'avions dernièrement, et nous n'avons pas assez de ressources pour gérer tout ça à la fois. Nous avons seulement repoussé nos discussions avec Bombardier concernant la CSeries. On espère être en position de commander bientôt.» Cela pourrait dire le mois prochain, mais aussi l'an prochain.

Qatar souhaiterait acheter entre 15 et 25 C300, des appareils de 120 à 145 places.

Plus de détails à venir.