· FedEx has revised its wet-lease contract with Atlas Air covering the lease of two Boeing 747-400 freighters and one -200F. This has resulted in the latter being returned to Atlas and it is now placed with Ladeco.
· Mesa Air Group has sold 16 of its Raytheon Beech 1900D turboprops to three unnamed operators as the group prepares to take delivery of 10 more Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets (CRJs) over the next 10 months. The sale leaves Mesa with 77 1900Ds, 22 CRJs and 12 Bombardier Dash 8 turboprops.
· Iberia is seeking buyers for four ex-Viva Air Boeing 737-300s that will be surplus to requirements when the charter subsidiary is closed at the end of the month. The remaining five 737-300s operated by Viva are will be returned to their lessors, International Lease Finance and Bavaria.
· American Airlines has taken delivery of the first of up to 500 737-800s, and has initiated services on flights from Chicago O'Hare to Los Angeles and from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles. American holds orders for 100 737-800s, plus options on a further 400, and will take delivery of 24 -800s during 1999.
· CIT Group has delivered three ex-Aspen Mountain Air Fairchild Dornier Metro 23s to Big Sky Airlines on five-year leases.
· Pacific East Asia Cargo, the Manila-based division of TNT, has taken delivery of a Boeing 727-200F on a three-month wet-lease from Lufthansa Cargo India. The deal was arranged by Fortis, which is locating a similar aircraft forlong-term lease.
· Biman Bangladesh has added an ex-Trigana Air Service Fokker F28 Mk4000 in a deal arranged by Fortis. A second aircraft is due for delivery to Biman soon.
· Filder Air Service of Germany has acquired an ex-Flying Enterprise British Aerospace J31 in a deal set up by ISIS Aviation Services.
· Continental Airlines has retired its last Boeing 747 and 737-200 from service. The airline is to retire 57 aircraft this year and receive 60 new Boeing aircraft.
Source: Flight International
