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United said to be near a deal to buy 40 used Airbus jets to cut costs
来源：shippingazette.com 编辑：编辑部 发布：2017/11/07 08:53:17
UNITED Continental Holdings wants to acquire as many as 40 used Airbus SE jets, seeking a way to boost short-distance service and cut costs, reports Bloomberg.
The carrier is looking at A319 and A320 single-aisle aircraft, the Chicago chapter of the United pilots union said. A deal for 30 to 40 of the jets is "imminent," according to the union memo.
Britain's EasyJet planes are a possible source. Most of the planes would be A319s, said one source.
EasyJet, which declined to comment, has its own plans to take over leases on A320s from Air Berlin, which is being liquidated.
United executives are pursuing "a plane they already have in their fleet," said George Ferguson, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "They can add them cheaply and there is no additional cost for spare parts or to train pilots and mechanics."
The current market value for 30 decade-old A319s is US$480 million, while thirty A320s is $690 million, according to consulting firm Avitas.
United chief financial officer Andrew Levy has been used jet advocate. United has acquired used planes before, agreeing to add second-hand aircraft from China in late 2015.
The planes could give United a relatively inexpensive way to increase service in the busy summer period or other peak times while keeping capital expenses under control, said aviation consultant Bob Mann.
"Andrew Levy is a former Allegiant Air guy, and Allegiant lives on used airplanes," Mr Mann said. "It's a rational thought process. It hasn't been used that much by the major carriers."
The carrier is looking at A319 and A320 single-aisle aircraft, the Chicago chapter of the United pilots union said. A deal for 30 to 40 of the jets is "imminent," according to the union memo.
Britain's EasyJet planes are a possible source. Most of the planes would be A319s, said one source.
EasyJet, which declined to comment, has its own plans to take over leases on A320s from Air Berlin, which is being liquidated.
United executives are pursuing "a plane they already have in their fleet," said George Ferguson, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "They can add them cheaply and there is no additional cost for spare parts or to train pilots and mechanics."
The current market value for 30 decade-old A319s is US$480 million, while thirty A320s is $690 million, according to consulting firm Avitas.
United chief financial officer Andrew Levy has been used jet advocate. United has acquired used planes before, agreeing to add second-hand aircraft from China in late 2015.
The planes could give United a relatively inexpensive way to increase service in the busy summer period or other peak times while keeping capital expenses under control, said aviation consultant Bob Mann.
"Andrew Levy is a former Allegiant Air guy, and Allegiant lives on used airplanes," Mr Mann said. "It's a rational thought process. It hasn't been used that much by the major carriers."