-Egyptair has signed a firm contract with Airbus Industrie for four A340-600s, including two orders and two options. It will introduce the 400-seat, Rolls-Royce Trent 500-powered A340 in 2003.
-Southern Air Transport has taken delivery of a Boeing 747-200F, acquired from Northwest Airlines, which is being operated for South African Airways. SAT plans to add further 747 freighters by year-end.
-Egyptian charter carrier Lotus Air, has selected International Aero Engines' V2500 to power its two Airbus A320s on order (one firm and one option). Deliveries will begin in January 1999.
-International Lease Finance has sold five aircraft to a special-purpose company set up by Metlife Capital, with First Security Bank operating as a trustee. They include a Boeing 737-300 leased to Varig, a 737-400 leased to Alaska Airlines, a Boeing 757-200 leased to Mexicana, a Boeing 767-300ER leased to Asiana and an Airbus A319 leased to Swissair. ILFC continues to manage the leases.
-Med Airlines, the new Italian regional based in Sicily, has taken the first of two Saab 2000s which will be introduced on scheduled services between Trapani and Rome from March.
-Shaheen Air International has taken an Airbus A320 on six-month wet-lease from Belgium's Constellation International.
-British Airways is gradually to replace with Boeing 737-200s its ten remaining British Aerospace ATP turboprops on its services between England and Scotland. The ATPs, the last true regional aircraft operated by BA, will be phased out by 1999.
-Interlease Aviation Investors has bought Gulf Air's last five Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 200s which will be flown by existing TriStar operator TradeWinds International Airlines.
-Taesa has leased an ex-Pan Am Airbus A300B4 from ING Leset International Equipment Management for six months.
-SA Airlink has ordered a new British Aerospace Jetstream 41 from Aero International (Regional), to be delivered in March 1998.
Source: Flight International
