TAM Receives New Airbus A320; Fleet Reaches 102 Aircraft
March 30 2007 - 4:57PM
PR Newswire (US)
Company Receives Ninth Aircraft This Year SAO PAULO, Brazil, March
30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TAM S.A. (BOVESPA: TAMM4, NYSE: TAM)
today received a new Airbus A320 aircraft. This is the ninth
aircraft received this year by the Company -- six aircraft from the
Airbus A320/319 family and three MD-11, one of which was received
yesterday (March 29) and will be used in TAM's new international
daily flight to Milan (Italy), which starts today. The fleet totals
102 aircraft, of which 80 are Airbus models -- 15 A319, 55 A320,
and 10 A330. The Company also operates 19 F-100s. TAM expects to
have 109 airplanes in its fleet by the end of 2007. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO ) TAM's
strategic plan foresees the total incorporation of 29 aircraft this
year (9 already received). Some of them will replace 13 F-100s that
will be redelivered through the end of 2007. With these changes in
TAM's fleet mix, the supply (ASK) increase will be higher than the
fleet increase because the A319 and A320 have 144 and 174 seats,
respectively, while the F-100 can only transport up to 108
passengers. TAM's guidance for 2007 foresees 30% ASK growth in the
domestic market and 60%-70% ASK growth in the international market.
With the new aircraft, the company strengthens its policy of
operating a newer fleet, providing passengers with more comfort.
According to an industry magazine, TAM's fleet is the newest in
Brazil, with average age of 7.1 years, compared to 11.2 in the
sector. The MD-11 is triple-class and can transport 279 passengers.
The aircraft will be used on TAM's long-haul international routes
until the delivery of four new Boeing 777-300ERs expected in 2008
in accordance with contract terms, which also includes an
additional four options. The aircraft is part of contracts that
foresee the further acquisition of 56 Airbus aircraft to be
delivered by 2010. Contracts include the option of an additional 20
aircraft. TAM's strategic plan foresees an operational fleet of 132
Airbus aircraft by the end of 2010. Investor Relations Contact:
Press Agency Contact: Phone: (55) (11) 5582-9715 Phone: (55) (11)
5582-8167 Fax: (55) (11) 5582-8149 Fax: (55) (11) 5582-8155
http://www.tam.com.br/ri About TAM: TAM ( http://www.tam.com.br/ )
has been the leader in the Brazilian domestic market for more than
three years, and held a 47.3% domestic market share and 61.0%
international market share at the end of February 2007. TAM
operates regular flights to 48 destinations throughout Brazil. It
serves 75 different cities in the domestic market through regional
alliances. Additionally, it maintains code-share agreements with
international airline companies that allow passengers to travel to
a large number of destinations throughout the world. TAM was the
first Brazilian airline company to launch a loyalty program.
Currently, the program has over 3.8 million subscribers and has
awarded more than 4.2 million tickets.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO
DATASOURCE: TAM CONTACT: TAM, Investors, +011-55-11-5582-9715, or
fax, +011-55-11-5582-8149, or ; or media, +011-55-11-5582-8167, or
fax, +011-55-11-5582-8155, or Web site: http://www.tam.com.br/
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