Boeing says its tanker would save billions

By Jim Wolf and Tim Hepher

FARNBOROUGH (Reuters) - Boeing, renewing its drive for a key U.S. Air Force refuelling-tanker contract, said a company-funded study found its candidate aircraft could save as much as $44 billion (22 billion pounds) in fuel bills over 40 years compared with an identically sized fleet offered by rival Airbus.

"The larger, heavier (Airbus) A330 is less fuel-efficient than the (Boeing) 767-200ER and, as a result, consumes 24 percent more fuel per trip," Boeing said in a statement released at the Farnborough International Airshow.

Calculating fuel costs over the life of the new U.S. tanker fleet is a key component of the contest, which was reopened by the U.S. Defence Department last week after a federal umpire found the Air Force had botched the selection process.

In February, the Air Force chose Northrop Grumman Corp and Airbus parent EADS over Boeing to build 179 new tankers based on the bigger A330.

Chicago-based Boeing protested the choice on grounds the Air Force had not followed its own evaluation rules.

Last month, its protest was sustained in part by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a congressional audit arm that recommended a rerun.

Among the issues upheld, the GAO said fuel costs needed re-evaluation. It said even a small amount of fuel burned per hour by one aircraft or the other would have a dramatic impact on fuel costs. Oil prices hit a record high last week above $147 per barrel, and many analysts expect prices to keep climbing.

EADS declined to comment on the report by Conklin & de Decker Aviation, described by Boeing as an independent aviation research company. Northrop officials said they would study the Boeing statement before deciding whether to comment.