New planes for Alliance? Not so fast

Boeing has said the airplane involved in the crash was a 737-200 that wasdelivered in June, 1980. It had accumulated more than 44,000 flight hours and more than 51,000 takeoffs and landings. “Neither number is particularly high for a 20-year-old airplane. There are more than 900 737-200s in service with airlines around the world,” the company said in brief comments about the crash, remarks that appear to have been amplified by the Indian establishment.

According to the company backgrounder on the Boeing range of planes,the 737 is the best-selling jetliner fleet in the world. “Much of the credit for this achievement belongs to the 737-200, which accounted for 1,114 — nearly one-third — of all 737s ordered,” the company claims.

During its production run from 1966 to 1988, versatility and reliability were keys to the popularity of the jetliner. Improved engines, better utilization of interior space, ease of maintainability and advanced avionics helped make the 737-200 one of the most productive and economical airplanes in its class, according to Boeing.

The company backgrounder reveals that he last original 737-200 model was produced in 1971 and delivered on April 5, 1971, to Indian Airlines, before Boeing switched over to an advanced version of 737-200s.

The Alliance Air crash may have shook up the Indian aviation establishment, but for Boeing — now gravitating towards becoming a space company instead of mere airplane manufacturer — the event is just another blip on its radar screen.

On a day when hi-tech giants like Microsoft, Intel, and Apple delivered their quarterly results, Boeing declared that its second quarter profits rose more than 25 per cent amid a string of new jet orders and asset sales in recent weeks.

The company raised its revenue estimates to $ 53 billion for 2001, citing strong commercial jet orders that is set to surpass the number planes it is projected to deliver in 2000. Boeing delivered more than 600 planes in 1999.

Although the Indian government has indicated that it is going to speed up procurement of more than a dozen planes following the Patna crash, aviation industry experts say New Delhi may have to wait for up to 18 months after an order is formally placed to take home the planes.

Typical of Indian decision-making, orders for the new planes have been debated and deferred for nearly three years now amid political changes and gridlock. Both Boeing and its rival European company Airbus, locked in sumo combat for aircraft orders, have stopped holding their breath for the Indian call.

According to Boeing’s 2000 order summary as of July, the company is expected to supply 244 737s, including a single order of 94 jets to Southwest, one of America’s fastest growing airlines. No Indian order is listed for 2000, though there are 38 unidentified orders.

But beneath the hype and gloss of company backgrounders, Boeing has also been troubled by a string of problems — including faulty cockpit parts — and labour trouble.