USAir Agrees to $1-Billion Order For 40 Douglas Jets

USAir Group announced Thursday a preliminary agreement to buy 40 MD-82 aircraft, worth an estimated $1 billion, from McDonnell Douglas.

The order is the latest in a cascade of sales of a billion dollars or more by the firm’s Douglas Aircraft unit in Long Beach, along with other major aircraft builders. The USAir order, however, ranks well behind recent Douglas sales to American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

USAir said it had signed a letter of intent stating its plan to place firm orders for 20 of the two-engine airliners and to take options for the purchase of 20 more. Douglas spokesman Don Hanson said Thursday that USAir chose to make the announcement even though final terms of the sale are still being negotiated.

The first plane would be delivered to USAir, the nation’s ninth-largest airline, in 1992 and the rest would be delivered at the rate of one a month starting in January, 1993, Hanson said. If USAir exercises all of its options, production would continue through mid-1994.

Douglas is currently increasing its production rate of MD-80-type jetliners to 2.5 aircraft a week. The firm is increasing its employment in the Long Beach area by 5,000 workers this year, which will put the total at 45,000, to accommodate its growth in production of commercial and military aircraft. The USAir order will not change the planned production rate and is not expected to have a direct effect on employment.

The MD-82s ordered by USAir will have eight first-class seats and 135 coach class seats. The MD-82 is the most popular version of the MD-80 class of jets, which include five models of varying range, capacity and cockpit features.

Washington-based USAir said it is a longtime operator of McDonnell Douglas aircraft. The aircraft manufacturer has built the DC-9 and DC-10 airliners, as well as the new MD-11, which is still under development.