Delta Air Lines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 777-200ER ahead of a planned entry into commercial service on transatlantic routes from 1 May. The 277-seat Rolls-Royce Trent-powered aircraft will initially be operated between Atlanta and London and, from September, between Cincinnati and London and Atlanta and Frankfurt. The second of Delta's 13 ordered 777s will be delivered in late March and used for domestic training between Atlanta and Orlando. Ryanair has taken delivery of its first of 25 Boeing 737-800s ordered by the Irish low-cost carrier last year to expand its European network. The airline also has options for 20 737-800s. Aer Lingus Commuter has added a sixth British Aerospace 146-300 on long-term lease from BAe Asset Management. The airline, which also operates two smaller 146-200s, has extended the leases on three other 146-300s. Thai Airways International has deferred delivery of its last Airbus A330-300, from the third quarter, until mid-2000. ATR Asset Management has placed 11 second hand ATR 42/72s during the first quarter of 1999, including one ATR 42 (cash sale) to Danish Air Transport; two to Italian airline Si Fly; two to CSA Czech Airlines; two to EuroLOT; one to Scorpio Aviation of Egypt; one to ACES Colombia; and one to Santa Barbara Airlines; ATR also placed one ATR 72 with French regional airline Corse Mediterranée. ACES Colombia has appointed Piedmont Aviation Services to remarket of two of its nine de Havilland Canada Twin Otter Series 300s. Korean Air has sold its third and last Airbus A330-200 on firm order to debis AirFinance. The aircraft was delivered in mid-March and leased back for 10 years. Similar deals were concluded with the airline's other two A330-200s. Korean Air has also revamped its 22 Next Generation 737 orders, with five of the 11 -800s on order switched to the larger -900. The airline now has six -800s and 16 -900s on order, with deliveries due to begin in 2000.
Source: Flight International
