Will Garuda Indonesia Order Airbus A320’s To Replace Cancelled Boeing 737 MAX Orders? - Simple Flying

Several airlines are expecting Boeing to pay for any costs incurred from the grounding of the 737 MAX, however, one airline is going one step further. Garuda Indonesia, the flag carrier of Indonesia, has sent a letter to Boeing requesting the cancellation of their order for 49 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Although the Indonesian carrier acknowledges Boeing will have a fix for the aircraft, passenger confidence has been likely lost, making it hard to operate flights with the aircraft.

Garuda Indonesia set to cancel their 737 MAX order, valued around $4.9 billion. Photo: Boeing

Will an Airbus A320 order replace Garuda Indonesia’s cancelled 737 MAX orders?

As of right now, Garuda has no plans to add Airbus narrowbodies to their fleet. Boeing representatives have agreed to meet with the airline in Jakarta next week “for discussion and negotiation” regarding the request to cancel their order. The discussions may involve converting their 737 MAX order to a different Boeing aircraft.

If the cancellation request should move forward, Garuda will need to find a narrow-body replacement for their 73 737-800s. The main focus for Garuda Indonesia will be to find an aircraft that offers many similarities to the 737 MAX. The most likely option being the Airbus A320neo, which shares similar fuel efficiency, range and passenger capacity.

Garuda Indonesia is already an Airbus customer and operates both A330-200 and -300 aircraft. In addition, they have 14 Airbus A330-900s on order. Photo: Andrew Eastwood

Comparison of the A320neo vs. 737 MAX 8

The A320neo and 737 MAX each come in three variants. The A320neo features two engine choices: the CFM LEAP-1A and the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G GTF. Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines are highly used for next-generation aircraft worldwide, powering the Airbus A220, Embraer’s E-Jet E2s, the Russian-built Irkut MC- 21s, and the Mitsubishi Regional Aircraft (MRJ). CFM International is the sole supplier for the Boeing 737 MAX, which will feature the slightly smaller LEAP-1B.

Lufthansa was the first operator of the Airbus A320neo. Photo: Airbus

As the 737 MAX was starting with an older, and thus less optimized, airframe, Boeing invested more in aerodynamic improvements to squeeze in additional fuel efficiency. The improvements that Boeing made, delivered an additional 2% fuel economy to that provided by the new engines.

The 737 MAX 8 has a range of 3,550nm (6,570km) , compared to the Airbus A320neo that clocks in just below the MAX at 3,400nm (6,300 km). In a two-class configuration the MAX 8 holds 162-178 passengers and the Airbus A320neo holds 165 passengers.

List prices of the aircraft, are as follows:

• Boeing 737 MAX 8 – $121.6 million
• Airbus A320neo – $110.6 million

Overall

As your able to tell, the 737 MAX 8 is the better option, in terms of performance. However, it comes at a higher list price than the Airbus A320neo.

If Garuda Indonesia does make an order for the A320neo at around 50 aircraft, it’ll most likely receive some discounts from Airbus. The A320neo would make a delayed entry to their narrow-body fleet by approximately five years and increase the training and maintenance costs for the airline. However, a transition over to the A320neo for their future aircraft, would most likely be worth it, if it means passengers will fly with Garuda Indonesia.

Do you think the Airbus A320neo would be the best replacement option for their cancelled 737 MAX order? Let us know in the comments!

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://ift.tt/2JAWL1Z

March 24, 2019 at 05:57AM