St Petersburg-based Pulkovo Airlines is acquiring two additional Tupolev Tu-154s and two Tu-134s, increasing its fleet of the two types to 21 and 10 aircraft, respectively. The airline plans to begin phasing out its Tu-134s from 2002 and replace them with new Tupolev Tu-334s. Evergreen International Airlines has placed a Boeing 747-200F on a three-year wet-lease with Asiana. Martinair Holland has added two ex-Air Holland, Rolls-Royce RB211-powered Boeing 757s to its fleet, on four-year leases from ING Lease. Kenya Airways has wet-leased a General Electric CF6-powered Boeing 767-300ER from partner KLM to replace the Airbus A310 which crashed last month. Qantas has finalised its lease deal with minority investor British Airways for seven Boeing 767-300ERs (Flight International, 8-14 December). The Rolls-Royce RB211-524 powered aircraft will be delivered between June this year and March 2001 for use on international routes. It is expected that at least two of the 767s will be wet leased from BA as the aircraft are progressively converted to Qantas configuration and additional Qantas pilots are trained. Eurofly, which operates primarily as the charter arm of the Alitalia group, has decided to retire its two McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50s and is offering them for sale. Meanwhile, Alitalia is seeking buyers for eight Airbus A300B2/B4s in addition to the six it has sold to C-S Aviation Services. British Midland has finalised its order for up to 12 Airbus A330-200s which will be operated on the airline's planned new transatlantic services (Flight International, 25-31 January). The $1.9 billion deal includes firm orders for four aircraft and options for eight more. The first two aircraft will be delivered in April and May 2001. Engine selection has not been finalised. AOM French Airlines has appointed IAMG to arrange sale and lease-backs on four of its McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s.
Source: Flight International
