Air Macau has signed a letter of intent with International Lease Finance (ILFC) on the lease of five Airbus A319s for 10 years. The International Aero Engines V2500-powered A319s are due to be delivered in 2002/3. The airline also aims to wet-lease a Boeing 727-200F for its entry into the dedicated cargo market. An Antonov An-124 operated by Antonov Airlines has been sold to Libyan Cargo Airlines, an associate of Libyan Arab. The aircraft was owned by the Aviant factory in Kiev, and leased to Antonov Airlines. The funds generated by the sale will be partly used to complete the last An-124 at the Aviant plant (An-124 production is also undertaken at Aviastar in Ulyanovsk). This last Aviant aircraft is due for delivery to Libyan Cargo by the end of the year. Universal Asset Management of Memphis, USA, has purchased an ex-United Airlines, Pratt & Whitney JT9D-powered Boeing 747-200 in a deal arranged by Aircraft Leasing and Management. The aircraft was recently redelivered off-lease by United Airlines. Dragonair has introduced its first Boeing 747-300 Freighter following conversion of the ex-Singapore Airlines aircraft from Combi configuration. The aircraft is initially being operated between Hong Kong and Osaka, Japan. A second converted ex-SIA 747-300 Combi will be delivered this year and used to boost Dragonair's cargo frequencies to Amsterdam, Dubai, Manchester and Shanghai. South African charter airline Rossair City Hopper has acquired a Fokker F28 Mk4000 from Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in a deal arranged by ALM. A second F28 will be delivered later this month. Vietnam Airlines has taken delivery of its first of three ATR 72-500s. The second aircraft will follow in February and the third in June. Iberia has retired its last Boeing 727-200 Adv after 29 years in service. UK express cargo operator Streamline Aviation has acquired three more Shorts 360 freighters, boosting its fleet to five. The three new aircraft will arrive over the next six weeks.
Source: Flight International
