-American Eagle has taken delivery of the first of 42 Embraer RJ-145s, and plans to begin regional jet services from Chicago O'Hare in May. The airline will receive the 50-seat ERJ-145s at a rate of two a month until mid-1999.
-TAM's component of the massive Latin American Airbus order involving LanChile and TACA is expected to include 38 A320 aircraft. Deliveries will begin in March 1999, with International Aero Engines believed to have been selected to provide the engines.
-World Airways has signed a 14-month aircraft crews, maintenance and insurance lease deal with Florida-based Jet Support to provide freighters to operate services to various South American destinations. World will initially operate the services with a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30F (two months), with an MD-11 being used for the remainder of the lease.
-International Lease Finance (ILFC)has placed a new CFM International CFM56-powered Airbus A320 with French charter carrier STAR Airlines on a seven year lease, for delivery in April 1999. ILFC has also placed a new Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered 767-300ER with Aeromexico for delivery in November on a 77-month lease and a Rolls-Royce RB.211-powered 757-200 with Britannia Airways on a seven year term beginning in April 1999.
-Fortis Aviation has delivered an ex-Carnival Airlines A300B4 to DHL International. The aircraft will first undergo conversion to a freighter by Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus, which is due to be completed at the end of the second quarter, before entering service on DHL's European network. Fortis has also placed an ex-Trigana Air Service Fokker F28 Mk4000 to Biman Bangladesh Airlines on lease.
-Italian low fare airline Air One has acquired an ex-Lufthansa Boeing 737-400 from leasing company Adrienne Enterprises. Air One is already operating another ex-Lufthansa 737-400 which it has recently purchased off lease from Adrienne.
Source: Flight International
