Air France Set To Order

It is reported that Air France is set to order 18 B777s to replace its fleet of B747s, and also to order 30 A320s and convert two options for A380s from the Home Team.

What's interesting here is that the trend here is not toward the bigger A380 as a replacement for the aging Air France B747 fleet that carries about 400 passengers, but toward a somewhat smaller, 2 engine aircraft that carries around 350 passengers. The number of A380s on order by Air France is 12, and Air France is not showing interest in the B747-8.

If you do a simple engines to passengers ratio the B747 comes in at 1:100, the B777 comes in at 1:175 and the A380 comes in at 1:125, assuming a realistic passenger load of about 500.

The Trent on the A380 is classed at about 70,000 pounds of thrust ,whereas the B777 engines are somewhat larger-in the 90,000 pound thrust range.