Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN5412
2002-09-20 09:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

BOEING PRESENTS "AGGRESSIVE" FINAL OFFER TO ROYAL

Tags:  BEXP EFIN EAIR JO 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS AMMAN 005412 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

USDOC FOR ADVOCACY CENTER -- CHRIS JAMES
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS
PASS EXIMBANK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP EFIN EAIR JO
SUBJECT: BOEING PRESENTS "AGGRESSIVE" FINAL OFFER TO ROYAL
JORDANIAN


UNCLAS AMMAN 005412

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

USDOC FOR ADVOCACY CENTER -- CHRIS JAMES
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS
PASS EXIMBANK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP EFIN EAIR JO
SUBJECT: BOEING PRESENTS "AGGRESSIVE" FINAL OFFER TO ROYAL
JORDANIAN



1. (SBU) Summary. The Boeing Company, which has been in
negotiations with Jordanian national carrier Royal Jordanian
Airlines (RJ) for the purchase and leasing short-haul aircaft
in competition with Airbus, presented its final offer to the
airline September 19. The offer marks the climactic stage
after over a year of negotiations. Boeing officials were
cautiously optimistic, but concerned that Airbus may yet
attempt to undercut the deal. End Summary.

--------------
IT'S NOT OVER TILL IT'S OVER
--------------


2. (SBU) Boeing's negotiating team of Samir Hanna, Senior
Sales Manager, Edward Schachle, Regional Director, and Peter
Ledger, local Boeing representative presented what it termed
its final offer to RJ CEO Samer Majali September 19. The
deal features the sale of five 737s and the leasing of
another four of the aircraft. Airbus, which recently leased
four A-340s to RJ, is also in negotiation to sell a like
number of A-320s.


3. (SBU) Characterizing the offer as "very aggressive",
Boeing officials filled us in on the details September 19.
The offer includes a discount of 39.9% off the "sticker"
price, an advance payment schedule beginning at 20%, rather
than the usual 30%, $10 million to top off the resale price
of RJ's existing A-320s, a spare parts exchange program worth
$3.2 million, and another $3.4 million in training support,
manuals, and manual revisions. All this in addition to the
performance features of the 737 which make it "clearly
superior" to the A-320.


4. (SBU) Expecting the RJ CEO to be a bit more enthusiastic
upon receipt of the Boeing proposal, Hanna said "Majali was
not displeased". He said the substance of the Boeing message
was that the company was doing "everything it can" to work
with RJ, and that this was the best deal they could offer.
He stressed the company would not get into a price war with
Airbus. Hanna said that the concessions they were making
were "extremely special", on terms they generally do not
offer to customers who buy 30 planes.


5. (SBU) Hanna said that both offers would now be considered
by the RJ board, expected to meet sometime between now and
the end of the month. Majali told the team a decision would
be made the first week of October. He suggested there might
be another round of negotiations, saying that it's "not over
till it's over". Despite this, Hanna reiterated that this
was their best offer. Hanna added that he thought Airbus
would be very surprised at the aggressiveness of the Boeing
deal.

--------------
FINANCING COULD BE A DEAL BREAKER
--------------


6. (SBU) Hanna said EXIM assistance could help nail down the
deal. He said he suspected that Majali had already "got
something from the French" on the financing side to help fund
the purchase, and was seeking something similar from Boeing.
He said that both the airline and the Jordanian government
were adamant about not providing sovereign guarantees given
RJ's status as a self-sustaining "corporatized" entity that
is seeking a foreign investor partner.
GNEHM