-US Leasing company Wexford Management has reportedly cut back its Embraer ERJ-145 orders to 10 aircraft and scrapped a letter of intent for another 20 of the smaller ERJ-135s, plus 20 options. The remaining 50-seat aircraft will be placed with its subsidiary US Airways Express Chautauqua Airlines.
-Japan Airlines is buying back one Boeing 747-200 freighter that had previously been sold to US carrier Southern Air Transport, which ceased operations during 1998.
-Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has repossessed a Boeing 737-400 wet leased to Pakistani carrier Shaeen Air, reportedly due to its failure to make lease payments during the last quarter of 1998. MAS has also withdrawn 12 crews which had been based in Karachi. The aircraft had been delivered on a three-year wet lease in mid-1998, and was scheduled to be joined by a second 737-400 last November, but this deal was aborted.
-Ansett New Zealand will replace its three Embraer Bandeirantes with three British Aerospace Jetstream 32EPs (enhanced performance) acquired from British Aerospace Asset Management. The aircraft, which will be progressively introduced into service from March, will be operated by Ansett NZ regional subsidiary Rex Aviation, from its hub in Wellington.
-The CIT Group has purchased six Boeing 737s operated by Sabena from UniCapital, including two -300s, two -400s and two -500s. The aircraft are on 2-3 year operating leases.
-Air Niugini and Canadian regional Time Air are understood to be discussing a Fokker F28 swap deal, which could see some of the latter's F28 Mk1000s traded to Time Air in exchange for larger Mk 4000 examples.
-Debis AirFinance has confirmed the lease agreement with Gill Airways for the acquisition of three ex-Midway Fokker 100s on five year operating leases. Deliveries will take place between February and April.
-Delta Air Lines has sold a 20-year-old Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 500 to AAR for scraping.
Source: Flight International
