Taiwan's China Airlines says no timetable for deciding on aircraft
Taipei (XFN-ASIA) - China Airlines Co Ltd (2610.TW) said it
has not set any timetable for reaching a decision on procuring new aircraft,
rejecting a newspaper report mentioning a year-end deadline.
"No, we do not have a fixed timetable in place," a spokesman for Taiwan's largest carrier said.
He was responding to a Commercial Times report that China Airlines expects to decide on the purchase of about 10 long-haul airliners by the end of the year.
The newspaper quoted a senior company official as saying that the airline had postponed making a decision since last year because high fuel prices had been draining its finances.
China Airlines now has 69 aircraft serving 67 destinations in 25 countries.
Previously, China Airlines spokesman Johnson Sun said the company was set to choose either Boeing 747-8 or Airbus A380 for flights requiring aircraft that can carry more than 400 passengers, and either Boeing 787 or Airbus A350 for flights requiring smaller aircraft.