Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON
CANADA 3000 AIRLINES has signed a lease agreement for up to four Airbus A330-200s, and is set to become the launch customer for the high-capacity twin in North America, and the first operator worldwide of the -200 version.
The Toronto, Canada-based charter airline has signed an eight-year lease agreement for three A330-200s with International Lease Finance (ILFC), and has taken an option on a fourth aircraft (Flight International, 14-20 August). General Electric's CF6-80E1 engine has been selected.
The first two A330s will be delivered in April and May 1998, with a third aircraft due in either May 1999 or 2000. "We have to confirm the delivery date of the third aircraft by the end of the year," says the airline's president Angus Kinnear.
"We want take a look at how the [charter] industry is doing before we commit...we may decide to take the May 1999 delivery and confirm the fourth aircraft as well," he adds.
By mid-1997, Canada 3000 will be operating a leased fleet of six Airbus A320s and six Boeing 757s, and has the option to return a 757 on delivery of each A330. The A330s will be in all-economy 340-seat configurations for use on the airline's long-haul programme replacing 757s, as well as on new routes such as transpacific services.
ILFC has orders for 26 A330s, including 13 of the smaller, longer-range -200 model, and has agreements with all three-engine manufacturers. Kinnear says that the first -200 version to be certificated will be the GE-powered model in, March/April 1998, with the Pratt & Whitney version being approved in October/November 1998 and the Rolls-Royce-powered variant following in 1999.
"We chose the CF6 as it is a mature engine and [its certification schedule] enables us to introduce the aircraft in time for our 1998 season," says Kinnear.
"We intend to use the A330s on full ETOPS [extended-range twin operations] operations from late 1998," he adds.
Although Airbus has received orders for the A330 from several North American-based operators, including Trans World Airlines and Northwest Airlines, their delivery schedules have been subject to deferral.
Source: Flight International
