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Marce Edwards is the business editor. She has been at The News Tribune for seven years and has written about technology and big businesses in the South Sound including Weyerhaeuser and Russell. Before moving to Tacoma, she worked at The Idaho Statesman in Boise. She is a Northwest native who likes to garden and refuses to use an umbrella. She lives in Tacoma with her husband and two kids.

C.R. Roberts is a Tacoma native. Before joining The News Tribune, he worked as a freelance writer and part-time cowhand on a cattle ranch in Northern Idaho. He writes about small business, personal finance and other business issues.

John Gillie writes about the aerospace and airline industries, commercial development and consumer issues. During his 30-year-tenure at The News Tribune he has covered issues as diverse as the Native American fishing rights disputes, crime and the courts, the wood products industry and energy. He lived in Tacoma with his family for 25 years, but now lives in Kent because his wife heads a five-state non-profit foundation headquartered in Ballard, and it only seemed a sensible compromise to make considering their workplaces are 40 miles apart.

Kelly Kearsley has been a business reporter at The News Tribune since 2005. She covers the Port of Tacoma and international trade. Being born and raised in Spokane she’s used to living in cities with inferiority complexes and, in fact, prefers it. Prior to working at The News Tribune, she spent three years as a reporter for The Bulletin in Bend, Oregon and another year working stints for The Associated Press and Seattle Times. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University. She lives in Tacoma with her husband and miniature schnauzer.

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Get the most up-to-date news, insights and analysis of Tacoma, Pierce County and South Puget Sound business.
Thursday, November 29th, 2007
Posted by John Gillie @ 06:48:50 am

Formerly faithful Boeing customer Hawaiian Airlines has joined the rank of Airbus customers with an order for 12 Airbus wide-bodies.

The aircraft, six A330-200s and six A350-800XWBs, are worth $2.2 billion at list prices.

The airline took options for six additional aircraft of each type.

The twin-aisle planes will replace Boeing 767s in Hawaiian's fleet beginning in 2012 for the A330s and in 2017 for the A350s.

Hawiian President Mark Dunkerley said the company is talking with leasing companies about bringing in some A330s as early as 2009.

Some of the airline's reasoning for picking Airbus may have to do with availability of suitable Boeing aircraft.

The popularity of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner (more than 700 sold) may have meant that Hawaiian would have had to wait until 2014 or beyond to acquire a 787.

Boeing's 777, which is larger than the A330, may have been too large for Hawaiian's needs.

In picking the A330, Hawaiian will see gain fuel economy and range over its present fleet of Boeing 767s. The A330 carries 45 more passengers than the 767 and can reach beyond the West Coast cities that Hawaiian now serves from the 50th state.

Hawaiian has three daily flights from Seattle, two to Honolulu and one to Maui.

Categories: Aerospace