Six Airbus A330-200 freighters ordered by investment fund MatlinPatterson four years ago have been removed from the airframer's books.

MatlinPatterson ordered the six twinjets in January 2008, intending them to be deployed with cargo carriers including Brazil's VarigLog.

It subsequently selected Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines to power the aircraft.

But Airbus's latest order disclosure, covering the six months to 30 June, shows that the MatlinPatterson order no longer appears on its books.

The cancellation reduces the overall total orders for the A330 freighter to just 52, of which 13 have been delivered.

Airbus formally recorded budget carrier Norwegian's order for 100 A320neo twinjets in June, as well as Russian airline Transaero's deal for four A380s.

These agreements took Airbus's first-half gross order total to 253 aircraft. The net total reached 230.

Over the first six months of the year the airframer delivered 279 jets - an increase of 21 on the first half of 2011 - of which 10 were A380s and another 50 were A330s.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news