Boeing

The Boeing 757-300 has recorded the highest schedule-reliability rate in its first two months of revenue service of any Boeing model introduced in recent years.

Launch customer Condor Flugdienst of Germany, which put its first 757-300 into revenue service on March 19, 1999, reports the model had 99.5 percent schedule reliability for the period from mid-March to mid-May 1999. This means that 99.5 percent of the time, Condor's 757-300 flights departed as scheduled.

The holiday carrier flies the 757-300 - a derivative of the 757-200 - on routes from German cities to southern Europe and northern Africa.

"Boeing provided us airplanes that were well built in the factory and fully flight tested to ensure smooth operation in service," said Gerhard Schmid, managing director - Condor. "Condor is pleased with the 757-300's reliability, and we know the tour operators who entrust their passengers to us will be happy to hear the flights are on time."

Boeing gives Condor much of the credit for the model's reliability performance.

"Condor is absolutely committed to keeping its flights on schedule," said Mike Bair, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group vice president and general manager - 757 Programs. "They have a skilled, well-trained maintenance crew that keeps their airplanes in superb condition and ready to fly."

Bair added that Condor also was deeply involved in development of the model. A Condor representative served on the program team during the design, production and flight-test phases.

After the first delivery in March, Condor added four more 757-300s to its fleet. During their first two months of service, the five 757-300s made 1,041 departures with only five interruptions to schedule.

In comparison, during their first two months of revenue service in 1998, the first five Boeing 777-300s - derivatives of the 777-200s - performed nearly as well. They recorded 99.26 percent schedule reliability, making 407 departures with only three schedule interruptions.

And in 1983, during their first two months of revenue service, the first five Boeing 757-200s recorded 97.29 percent schedule reliability.

Schedule reliability is an aviation standard defined by several factors. Achieving 100 percent schedule reliability means no flight can be canceled, turned back in the air, diverted to another airport, or delayed longer than 15 minutes due to mechanical problems with an airplane.