-A New Tahitian carrier, Air Tahiti Nui, will launch services to points on the US West Coast and Japan later this year with an ex-Air France Airbus A340-200 leased from Airbus Industrie Financial Services.
-SAS Commuter has increased its firm orders for Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-400 from 15 to 17, taking the value to $395 million. The airline holds options for 18 additional Dash 8s which can be either 70/78-seat -400s or 50-seat -300s.
-Geneva-based long-haul start-up Swiss World Airways will launch operations in the third quarter of 1998 with a General Electric CF6-80A2-powered Boeing 767-200ER leased from Air New Zealand/Ansett Australia. The airline will initially serve New York Newark four times a week.
-Lufthansa has placed an order for one additional A340-300, bringing its total orders for the type to 31.
-Australian regional Macair (Mackinlay Air Charter) has acquired two ex-Regional Airlines Saab 340Bs on lease from Saab. The aircraft will be used to launch scheduled services.
-Austrian Airlines is planning to phase out its four Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered Airbus A310-300s by 2000, as it boosts its long-haul fleet with A330-200s and more A340s.
-The Argentinian regional airline Kaiken Lineas Aereas is doubling its Saab 340A fleet with the lease of two aircraft from Saab, that were previously operated by another Argentinean carrier, Andesmar.
-Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise has placed two CFM International CFM56-powered Airbus A320s with Iberia on five-year leases. Deliveries will take place in May and September 1999. ++The Congo carrier LAC has leased two ATR 42-300s, from Ethiopian Airlines.
-debis AirFinance has purchased a new A320 from Airbus Industrie and placed the aircraft with ACES on a five year operating lease.
-CCair plans to lease six ex-HorizonAir Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-100s from the manufacturer later this year.
Source: Flight International
