British Airways has launched a competition to purchase new longhaul aircraft by inviting plane and engine manufacturers to submit bids to the air carrier.
The request for proposal is the first step in the process before the airline makes a decision on fleet growth and replacement for the next decade. Plane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, and engine manufacturers Engine Alliance, General Electric and Rolls Royce have been asked to bid. Dependant on the outcome of the RFP competition, orders are expected to be placed during next year.Aircraft British Airways is considering include the Airbus A330, A350, A380 and Boeing 787, B777 and B747-8. The current list prices for the aircraft under consideration range from $160 million to $316 million per aircraft. British Airways currently has 284 aircraft in its fleet, which include 114 longhaul aircraft.