American Air Criticizes New McDonnell Jets

McDonnell Douglas has come under intense criticism for performance problems on its MD-11 jetliner from the firm’s largest customer, American Airlines.

The MD-11 is burning about 4% more fuel than expected, according to officials at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach. Douglas engineers are working on the problem, which has triggered angry comments from American.

“The MD-11 is having some problems in the flight-test program, as far as being able to deliver the type of range that was advertised, the type of range that we need,” Donald Carty, American’s executive vice president, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

“And that’s something we have a big problem with. We are quite cross with McDonnell Douglas about this,” Carty said. American has signed up for 50 MD-11s, worth an estimated $4.5 billion. The plane is still under development.

But Carty apparently still likes the airplane. “It will still be a very good transcontinental plane. It will be a good plane to Europe and perhaps on some other long routes,” he said. “But it probably won’t be the plane we use on some of our very longest routes.”

Douglas spokesman Don Hanson said the 4% growth in the MD-11’s “specific fuel consumption” is being caused by the General Electric CF-80C2 engines.

“There are things that can be done to the engine and to the aircraft,” Hanson said. “I don’t think this is a major blow because we are confident that the aircraft can provide the full range with the advertised passenger payload.”

But he acknowledged that it will fall short of flying its full range with its advertised cargo capacity, which is supposed to be the largest of any passenger jet.

Michael Durham, American’s senior vice president, said the lost cargo capacity would cut annual revenue $7.3 million.