Far Eastern Air Transport Corp (FAT, 遠東航空) on Tuesday said that it is considering canceling a plan to add 11 Boeing Co 737 MAX planes to its fleet as the US company has not solved the problems with the jets following two crashes since October last year.
FAT originally planned to operate its new international flights after taking delivery of two 737 MAX jets by the end of this year.
As the 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide since March and Boeing has still failed to provide a solution to regulators, FAT is mulling replacing the 737 MAX order with Airbus SE A321 jets, FAT spokeswoman Patty Lu (盧紀融) said by telephone.
“Airbus has introduced its jets to us and we are interested. A321 aircraft would be a good choice for our new international flights,” Lu said.
As FAT has not paid a deposit to Boeing and suspended the purchase of 737 MAX jets after the accidents, there would be no cost for the company if it decides to purchase the new aircraft from Airbus, she said.
The company would need to take some time to make a final decision, she added.
The airline decommissioned one McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft last month and plans to retire three other MD-83 aircraft in November and December, which would reduce the number of its McDonnell Douglas fleet to four, Lu said.
The remaining four are to be retired by early 2022, she added.
To replace the aged airplanes, the company has taken delivery of six ATR 72-600 jets, with another two due to join the fleet in November and December, Lu said.
FAT would decide whether to take delivery of a ninth ATR plane in February next year, depending on the outlook of the domestic and global aviation industry, she said.
“After the decommissioning is completed, the average age of our aircraft will be lower, which means higher fuel efficiency and lower operational costs,” Lu said.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration said that it has a neutral view regarding FAT’s choice of aircraft, Flight Standards Division Director Clark Lin (林俊良) said by telephone yesterday.
“As FAT has never applied to use A321 jets, it would need to submit a new preliminary plan if it decides to cancel the 737 MAX order, but if it decides to stick to the 737 MAX we would have to scrutinize the problems with the jet,” Lin said.
FAT posted revenue of NT$2.116 billion (US$67.78 million) for the first half of this year, up 21.33 percent year-on-year, while cumulative profit was NT$44 million, or earnings per share of NT$0.13, Lu said.
It was late morning and steam was rising from water tanks atop the colorful, but opaque-windowed, “soapland” sex parlors in a historic Tokyo red-light district. Walking through the narrow streets, camera in hand, was Beniko — a former sex worker who is trying to capture the spirit of the area once known as Yoshiwara through photography. “People often talk about this neighborhood having a ‘bad history,’” said Beniko, who goes by her nickname. “But the truth is that through the years people have lived here, made a life here, sometimes struggled to survive. I want to share that reality.” In its mid-17th to
‘MAKE OR BREAK’: Nvidia shares remain down more than 9 percent, but investors are hoping CEO Jensen Huang’s speech can stave off fears that the sales boom is peaking Shares in Nvidia Corp’s Taiwanese suppliers mostly closed higher yesterday on hopes that the US artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer would showcase next-generation technologies at its annual AI conference slated to open later in the day. The GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in California is to feature developers, engineers, researchers, inventors and information technology professionals, and would focus on AI, computer graphics, data science, machine learning and autonomous machines. The event comes at a make-or-break moment for the firm, as it heads into the next few quarters, with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s (黃仁勳) keynote speech today seen as having the ability to
NEXT GENERATION: The company also showcased automated machines, including a nursing robot called Nurabot, which is to enter service at a Taichung hospital this year Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) expects server revenue to exceed its iPhone revenue within two years, with the possibility of achieving this goal as early as this year, chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) said on Tuesday at Nvidia Corp’s annual technology conference in San Jose, California. AI would be the primary focus this year for the company, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), as rapidly advancing AI applications are driving up demand for AI servers, Liu said. The production and shipment of Nvidia’s GB200 chips and the anticipated launch of GB300 chips in the second half of the year would propel
The battle for artificial intelligence supremacy hinges on microchips, but the semiconductor sector that produces them has a dirty secret: It is a major source of chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems. Global chip sales surged more than 19 percent to about US$628 billion last year, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association, which forecasts double-digit growth again this year. That is adding urgency to reducing the effects of “forever chemicals” — which are also used to make firefighting foam, nonstick pans, raincoats and other everyday items — as are regulators in the US and Europe who are beginning to
RSS