KLM begins widebody fleet renewal with A330-300 delivery

KLM expects deliveries of its Boeing 787-9s to begin on schedule in October 2015, but is in no rush to make an engine selection.

The Dutch carrier has 23 787s on order plus options for 25 more aircraft through parent company Air France KLM Group. The aircraft will make up a significant portion of KLM’s fleet renewal plan, which will focus on replacing its aging Fokker F-100s with Embraer E-190s and replacing much of its widebody fleet with a mix of Airbus A330s and A350s, as well as Boeing 777s and 787s.

Speaking in Toulouse Wednesday, where KLM took delivery of the first of four new A330-300s it has on order, KLM VP fleet services Peter Slobbe told ATW the fleet renewal would be accompanied by new business-class interiors across its widebodies, beginning next year with its 747s. The carrier operates 22 747-400s, including 16 combis. An announcement on the new lie-flat seat supplier will be announced soon, Slobbe said.

The A330-300 delivered Wednesday is leased from Air Lease Corp. (ALC), the first all-new aircraft that KLM has taken from the lessor. The second -300 will be delivered in March and the third in April, with both aircraft leased from GECAS. A fourth -300 will be delivered in January 2013 and will be owned, although Slobbe said there remains the option to do a sale and leaseback deal. In addition, a 12th A330-200—also to be leased from ALC—will be delivered in April 2013.

KLM is also scheduled to receive three more 777-300ERs in June and July this year and May 2013, adding to its current fleet of five -300ERs and 15 777-200s. Along with the 787s, they will help replace the 747s and 10 MD-11s.

“We have the flexibility at the moment to be able to speed up or slow down the phasing out of the MD-11s and 747s,” Slobbe said.

A choice between GE or Rolls-Royce engines has yet to be made on the 787s, but Slobbe said the carrier will likely wait to see how each engine does in service with earlier 787 operators. All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the only current 787 operator and its aircraft are powered by Rolls Trent 1000 engines.

Final negotiations are continuing over a Group purchase of A350s, Slobbe said, but the intent is for Air France to take the lead on those deliveries.

Meanwhile, the last five F-100s will be phased out by the end of this year and five more E-190s will be delivered between March and May, bringing KLM’s Embraer fleet to 21 aircraft.

KLM also operates 25 Fokker F-70s and 46 Boeing 737 NextGen narrowbodies. Slobbe said there are no near-term plans to replace those fleets.

Article Source : ATW Daily News