[彭博] [2019.7.24]
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-23/jetblue-s-very-disappointed-cfo-jabs-airbus-on-a321-delays]
彭博报导Jetblue今年将获得6架A321N，不到原订计画13架的一半，同时明年A321N亦有交机延误。
英航IAG集团则是改采购200架737MAX(不过目前似乎还在MOU阶段)，目前英航AIB窄体客机平均延误70天交机。
值得注意未来星宇、华航、台虎交机时辰是否受影响!
JetBlue’s ‘Very Disappointed’ CFO Jabs Airbus on A321 Delays
2019年7月24日 上午2:22 [GMT+8]
* U.S. carrier to get less than half of jets expected this year
* Snarls add to pressure as airline nears cost-cutting target
JetBlue Airways Corp. expressed dismay with Airbus SE after the U.S. carrier
learned it will get less than half the A321neo jets it was expecting this
year because of production snarls that are delaying deliveries of the
European planemaker’s biggest single-aisle model.
The New York-based airline will get a maximum of six of the aircraft this
year, compared with the 13 that were originally planned, Chief Financial
Officer Steve Priest said Tuesday. Next year, JetBlue will receive 14 of the
jets, or one less than previously scheduled.
“We’re very disappointed with the continued delays to our A321neo program
as a result of Airbus production issues, including a further delay we
received in the last week and a half,” Priest said on a call with analysts.
The delays have forced JetBlue to adjust flight schedules in the second half
of this year and trim next year’s growth plans, adding to the pressure on
the airline as it nears the end of a three-year effort to control nonfuel
spending. JetBlue’s reproach echoed criticism earlier this month by British
Airways owner IAG SA, which said that frustration with Airbus contributed to
its decision to reach a 200-jet deal for Boeing Co.’s beleaguered 737 Max.
Earnings Impact
JetBlue is working closely with Airbus “to uphold our original capacity
plans as much as possible,” said Chief Executive Officer Robin Hayes.
The company is cutting next year’s planned expansion in seating capacity by
2 percentage points, Priest said, without quantifying the growth forecast. He
said the delivery woes would have a “fairly limited” effect on per-share
earnings.
The airline’s first A321neo was delivered in June, four months late, and
will begin flights this fall. The carrier is scheduled to take 84 A321neo
planes through 2026. The delays won’t affect JetBlue’s plans to use an
extended-range version of the aircraft to connect London with New York and
Boston starting in 2021.
JetBlue’s planned 3% to 5% growth this quarter is “unusually low,” in part
due to “tactical cuts” made to mitigate the A321neo delays, President
Joanna Geraghty said. The airline is maintaining its existing forecast that
2020 unit costs, a gauge of efficiency, will decline as much as 2.5% next
year.
Airbus has been struggling to push out enough of its A321s to customers after
offering its so-called Cabin Flex option, allowing for more customization in
the aircraft’s interiors, including variations on the layout and positioning
of emergency exits. The aircraft has proven popular, with the longest-range
variant gaining traction as an alternative to flying bigger wide-body
jetliners on long-distance routes.
Production Slowdown
The manufacturer said in May that it was slowing A321 production to a rate of
one in as many as four days compared with just two days to build the original
A320neo model. Airbus said at the time that it would engage with customers on
rescheduling those deliveries.
A spokesman for the Toulouse, France-based company acknowledged that “
challenges remain” with production, adding that deliveries will increase in
the second half.
The delays have also drawn ire from IAG Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh.
He said that his recent decision to buy Boeing’s 737 Max