Air Transport

Asiana Airlines has finally begun receiving the six Airbus A330-300s it has on order, five years later than they were originally scheduled. The 290-seater is the first of six Pratt &Whitney PW4000-powered A330-300s that the South Korean airline originally ordered in 1997 and were later deferred because of the Asian financial crisis. Deliveries of the remaining five A330s will continue until mid-2007 and Asiana plans to operate the aircraft on international regional routes within Asia to countries such as Japan. They are the airline's first widebody Airbuses, although 15 A321 narrowbodies are operated.