NIT-PICKING and hair splitting were the order of the day yesterday as representatives of Airbus and Boeing made a last media fling in the bid to refurbish the Cyprus Airways fleet in a contract worth as much as £400 million.
Airbus press and information representative for Greece and Cyprus Costas Rapis yesterday accused Boeing of spreading inaccurate information about their own prowess and Airbus’ alleged shortcomings.
He is in Cyprus to set the record straight with the media, with the decision on the new fleet expected from the CY board any day.
Boeing executive Steve Aliment, on the other hand, is in town to promote “Connections by Boeing” – a new technology, which provides every passenger with Internet and interactive satellite links for the duration of the flight, available in Europe from summer 2002.
Rapis yesterday refuted Boeing claims that the 737 cabin was wider than that of its Airbus rival. “It’s simply not true. We are definitely 18cm wider.”
While he concedes that the Boeing can climb to a higher altitude faster (a ceiling height of 41,000 feet opposed to 39,400 for Airbus), he says, “the difference is ridiculous. It doesn’t make any operational sense.”
Boeing says the extra 1,600 feet means the plane burns less fuel, makes for a smoother flight and keeps the plane above mainstream traffic.
“If you can’t do it, then of course you don’t think it’s important,” retorted Aliment.
Other bones of contention are passenger numbers: Boeing claims to hold 12 more, whereas Airbus swears that should only be 6-9. Boeing says their planes are longer and so allow for the extra seats should the airline want them.
Then there’s the size of the hold: The Boeing 737 is 15 per cent larger, but according to Airbus, “that’s volume. What is important is useable space”.
Rapis uses a common comparison – you can’t put the fridge in front of the door.
Airbus claims it has the lead in container transportation: weather-proof, theft-proof and electronic to reduce the danger of human injury or entrapment.
The A320 is “an aircraft of our times and future,” designed from scratch, says Rapis, whereas the 737 is just a revamp of the original 1965 model.
“Boeing aircraft do not have anything close to modern technology,” says Airbus. But Boeing claims to be the pioneer of the “next generation airplane”.
Airbus claims Boeing flights are mainly mechanical with computer back-up, whereas its planes are all state-of-the-art electronic fly-by-wire. Boeing says all planes have mechanical back-ups and that not putting fly-by-wire technology into 737s saves maintenance costs.
So what do the companies think of each other?
“Boeing are very good competitors,” says Airbus rep Rapis. “We respect their profits, their selling effort. We believe they have a number of very good points. Precisely for that reason that we are surprised that they come up with these little things that mean nothing.” “I think Airbus is a company that has come a long way in a short time. We compete with them every time for every order,” said Boeing’s Aliment.
And the bitter rivalry? For Rapis, aggression is part of the never-ending business game, endemic in deals all over the world, and to be enjoyed.
“We are at each other’s throats all the time. I believe that they make absolutely excellent aircraft. Ours are just better.”
Aliment denied that the rivalry was petty, despite its almost obsessive attention to detail.
“This is a very tough campaign. I mean we’re the underdog. Airbus have always had a monopoly on Cyprus Airways,” he said.
CY said yesterday that a decision could take another two weeks, but that they were in constant contact with Boeing and Airbus.
“A loss is a loss. But we don’t exactly expect to lose this one. We believe that we have made a very good case, both on the technical side and the financial side,” said Rapis.
“You never want to be over-confident and I’ve learnt never to underestimate your competitor. We need to focus on what Cyprus Airways really needs and what we can offer them,” said Aliment.
As to the political twist in favour of European players Airbus, both dismissed its importance. “We don’t do politics,” said Airbus. “I really believe that when focusing on your customer, you give them best value, you don’t need to play political games,” said Boeing.
Of course Airbus says it never gives out “a single piece of information that cannot be verified”.
“We have never knowingly beautified our side or demeaned the competition,” said Rapis.
“We think we’ve got a great product,” finished Boeing. Aliment has been working on the CY deal for two and a half years. It’s not one on which he’s going to give up easily. Only time will tell.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
