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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 0306.PDF
^^B^V^w^K 9 ^B^B^^^Bw^f '^^y<w^^^^^Fjy^a 5 MARKETPLACE Sabena has contracted to lease a three-year-old ex-Malaysia Airlines, Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered Airbus A330-300 in April on a six- year-lease from International Lease Finance (ILFC). Sabena operates three General Electric CF6-powered A330-300s on lease from Airbus, and will also add three new PW4000-powered A330-200s from ILFC from August. ++ The UK- based division of Maersk Air, British Airways' Birmingham-based franchise partner, is ordering two additional 50-seat Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ) which will increase its fleet to eight CRJs. The aircraft will be delivered in March and April next year. ++ Venezuelan carrier Avensa has acquired a McDonnell Douglas DC- 10-30 from Varig for its long-haul services to Europe, and is planning to acquire three more DC-lOs from the same source. ++ US freight car rier Kitty Hawk Air Cargo is plan ning to to lease nine Stage 3 hushkitted Boeing 727-200 freighters from US lessor Pegasus Aviation during 1999, boosting its fleet to 42 of the type. ++ Gill Air has added the first of three ex- Midway Fokker 100s on lease from Debis AirFinance in a deal arranged by Cabot Aviation. The aircraft is scheduled to begin flying on ClU's Air France franchise services later this month. ++ In the second quar ter, North American Airlines will add a new Boeing 737-800 on lease from GE Capital Aviation Services and a Rolls-Royce RB211- powered 757-200 leased from ILFC. Meanwhile, the airline, which is associated with El Al, will return its 10-year old 757 to Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services. ++ Atlas Air has exercised two options for two General Electric CF6-pow- ered Boeing 747-400 freighters for delivery in March and April next year, bringing its total orders to 12. ++ Air Malawi is seeking a buyer for its Fairchild Dornier 228-212, and has appointed ISIS Aviation Services to remarket the aircraft. ++ Spanish charter carrier Iberworld has ordered two A320s plus two options. • BWIA's ageing MDSOs (above) will be replaced by Boeing NG 131s. Airbus A321s have proved unsuitable BWIA signs 737-800 lease deal with ILFC, plans share offering MAX KINGSLEY-JONES/LONDON BWIA INTERNATIONAL Airways has selected Boeing's Next Generation 737 to upgrade its fleet and replace its Boeing MD-80s. The carrier has conclud ed a deal with International Lease Finance (ILFC) for six aircraft. The Caribbean carrier has selected the 737 over the Airbus A320, and its deal with ILFC cov ers six 154-seat737-800s for deliv ery from November, plus a 737-700 which will be delivered on an interim basis in May. "We need an aircraft in May to replace an MD-80 that we are returning to the lessor," says Conrad Aleong, BWIA's president. The remaining -800s will be delivered by the end of2000,headds. BWIA currently operates five 141 -seat MD-80s on services from Trinidad and Tobago to points in die USA including New York and Miami, as well as on inter-Island sendees. The airline recently set up its own regional division, BWee Express, which will fly 50-seat Bombardier Dash 8-300s on its Island services (Flight International 24 February - 2 March). Aleong says the new 737-800s will supplement and eventually replace the IVlD-80s, and will be able to serve its North American destinations all year round non stop from Port-of-Spain. BWIA had signed a five-year lease deal with ILFC for two Airbus A3 21 -100s that were deliv ered in mid-1996. But these air craft proved unsuitable for the airline's network as they were unable to operate non-stop ser vices to points such as New York in certain conditions, says Aleong. BWIA sub-leased the Airbuses to Turkish charter airline Air Alfa, but Aleong says die 737-800 deal enables it to get out of the A3 21 s, as the deposits have been transferred. Aleong says BWIA is moving forward with plans to launch a $50- 60 million initial public offering to fund die fleet acquisitions. "We are still preparing the prospectus, but this should be ready to go by May," says Aleong. • European safety body takes shape THE FIRST draft of the treaty defining the new constitu tional European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) will be present ed to a special committee of the 15 European Union (EU) member states this month, according to Joint Aviation Authorities secre tary general Klaus Koplin. The document, which had been expected in November last year, will eventually become the corner stone of an EU agency with full legal power to issue and enforce aviation regulations throughout the Union and eventually in the 3 5 members states of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC). The paper is the starting point for debate, Koplin emphasises, even though it bears the title of draft treaty. For the last two years there has been a working party drawing up terms of reference for EASAs formation, and last June the European Commission's transport directorate (DG VII) published the negotiating mandate. Since then, work onthedrafttreatyhasbeenin progress. The estimated time to full legal and operational status has always been five years (from 1998), says Koplin, and he confirms that it is unlikely to be achieved earlier. Drawing up a treaty which can be ratified by all the nations involved will be "difficult", says Koplin, confirming that there are no EU or ECAC member states which are against the EASA in principle. 3 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3 - 9 March 1999
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