Qantas has wet-leased an Airbus A340-200 from Air Tahiti Niu to operate its services from Auckland to Papeete until 26 August. After that date, Qantas will codeshare with the carrier on the once-weekly services, which will be operated under Air Tahiti Nui's codes. Austrian regional Rheintalflug has ordered a third Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet, for delivery in September. The carrier had previously planned to place a launch order for the smaller ERJ-140 model currently in flight test, but switched its commitment to the larger type due to the availability of an earlier delivery slot. Japanese regional The Fair Inc has received the first of two 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200s. Skopje, Macedonia, based start-up Air Service is acquiring four ex-Trans States British Aerospace J32EPs on a five-year lease from the manufacturer. Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet Airlines has leased a Boeing 737-200 from Pegasus Aviation. The airline plans to introduce four more leased 737-200s by February next year, boosting its fleet to 22 aircraft. Emirates has converted three of its six Rolls-Royce Trent 772-powered Airbus A330-200 options into firm orders, for delivery between November and March. Flight International's sister on-line service Air Transport Intelligence reports that, according to Emirates, the new orders are not connected to moves inside its minority-owned affiliate Sri-Lankan Airlines to defer acceptance of three A330-200s it is due to have delivered in an almost identical timeframe. Midway Airlines is taking a further three Boeing 737-700s on lease, for delivery from November 2000 to November 2001. Palestinian Airlines has taken delivery of the first of two 50-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q300s. The Gaza Strip-based airline will receive its two ordered Bombardier CRJ200s in September and November respectively. O'Connor Airlines of Adelaide, Australia, has leased a third J32EP from BAE Systems.
Source: Flight International
