International Aircraft Investors is acquiring an Airbus A320 leased to Caledonian Airways until April 2002, a Boeing 737-400 leased to GB Airways until April 2001 and a Boeing 757 leased to Canada 3000 until May 2002. GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has purchased three Rolls-Royce Trent 890-powered Boeing 777-200ERs from Malaysia Airlines under a sale/leaseback deal. Air Atlanta Icelandic has concluded the financing for its purchase of two Rolls-Royce RB211-powered Boeing 747-200s from Cathay Pacific. Meanwhile, one of Cathay's 747-200s is to become the first R-R RB211-powered 747 to be dismantled for spares. The 20-year- old aircraft, which has accumulated around 72,000h and 21,000 cycles, is also the youngest 747-200 to be retired to date. Airtours International has leased an International Aero Engines V2500-powered Airbus A320 via Transmeridian from Orix. Luxembourg-based Europe Air Charter has taken delivery of an ex-FloridaGulf Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia on lease from CIT Group. Cessna has taken orders from six airline customers for seven Cessna 208 Caravan/208B Grand Caravan single-engined turboprops. Rico Linhas Aereas of Brazil and the Canadian airlines Sowing Air and Sea Air Services have each ordered a single 208. Avior Express of Venezuela and US airline Bearing Air have each ordered a single 208B, while Vermont-based Business Air has ordered two of the aircraft. All the aircraft have been delivered. CIT Group has purchased two one-year-old CFM International CFM56-powered A320s leased to China Eastern Airlines from GECAS. CIT has also purchased a seven-year-old CFM56-powered Airbus A320 from Sumitomo which is leased to Iberia. International Lease Finance has purchased the leases from First Security Bank of two Continental Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s.
Source: Flight International
