FINNAIR IS TO LEASE its entire McDonnell Douglas DC-10 fleet to French airline Air Liberte. The agreement covers four aircraft on a five-year lease. The deal will net Finnair revenues of around FM140 million ($32 million) a year.
Air Liberte has been leasing one of the four DC-10s since July 1994. That agreement will be renewed in mid-September, when the lease period expires. A second aircraft has already been handed over to the French carrier, with a further aircraft scheduled to arrive in December. The agreement for the fourth DC-10 starts in June 1996.
The Finnish national carrier has been using the three DC-10s still in its possession on long-haul flights to Japan and on charter work. McDonnell Douglas MD-11s and Airbus A300s will replace the DC-10s.
Air Liberte plans to use the DC-10s, in scheduled and charter flights to destinations such as, the Caribbean and the Island of La Reunion off the eastern coast of Africa. Finnair is responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft throughout the lease period.
Source: Flight International
