Boeing

In its first year of revenue service with Condor Flugdienst, the new Boeing 757-300 has achieved a reliability rate of 99.64 percent -- the highest rate ever by any commercial airplane model in its first year of operation. This means that during the year, 99.64 percent of 757-300 flights departed as scheduled.

The single-aisle twinjet, a derivative of the Boeing 757-200, went into revenue service with Condor on March 19, 1999. During the past year, the German holiday carrier has flown its fleet of seven 757-300s on routes from German cities to southern Europe and northern Africa. Condor has used each 757-300 an average of 8.7 hours per day.

"That's a phenomenal on-time record," said Toby Bright, senior vice president -- European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group. "It's a tribute to Condor, with its well-maintained fleet and fine-tuned ground operations, and it's also a tribute to an efficient new airplane."

Schedule reliability is an aviation measure that is defined by many factors. One hundred percent reliability means no flight can be canceled, turned back in the air, diverted to another airport or delayed any longer than 15 minutes due to mechanical problems with the airplane.

Condor also has had great success at turning around its new 757-300s at airports. During the first year of revenue service, Condor has turned around the airplanes in an average of 59 minutes. Turnaround time covers the period between the airplane's inbound arrival at the gate and its pushback for the next departure. It includes unloading passengers and baggage, servicing the airplane and reloading passengers and baggage.

Schedule reliability and quick turnaround times are especially critical factors in Europe, where making scheduled takeoff slots is crucial and where many airports have nighttime landing restrictions

Even though the 757-300 is the longest single-aisle airplane on the market, Condor has had no problems turning the airplane.

"Handling the 757-300 on the ground is just like handling any other airplane type," said Juergen Hild, Condor director of ground operations.

Condor plans to put six more of the jetliners into service in 2000, and other airlines are adding it to their fleets. Boeing delivered two 757-300s to Arkia Israeli Airlines this past February. Icelandair has ordered the 757-300, and other new customers are expected to be announced this year.

The 757-300, painted in the colors of Condor, recently completed an around-the-world demonstration tour, stopping at selected cities in the United States, Iceland, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, China and Taiwan.