Horizon Air has received its first of 15 70-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s. The aircraft will enter commercial service on yet to be finalised routes, replacing 37-seat Dash 8-100s, in mid-February following a series of proving flights. Q400 North American launch customer Horizon is due to receive all 15 of the type by year-end. Horizon has options on a further 15. Continental Airlines has confirmed an order for 15 Boeing 757-300s for delivery late this year through to 2003. Garuda Indonesia is leasing an ex-Istanbul Airlines Boeing 737-400 from GE Capital Aviation Services. Eurojet Aircraft Leasing, the regional jet leasing affiliate of Transasian Air Australia, has delivered one Embraer ERJ-135 and one Embraer ERJ-145 on long term leases to Proteus Airlines, the Air France Regional subsidiary. The two aircraft, MSN 342 and 347, join the three Eurojet leased ERJ aircraft already in service with Proteus. Singapore Airlines has sold one of its Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4G2-powered 747-300s to P&W. Air Atlanta Icelandic has leased the 747 from the engine manufacturer. The aircraft will be wet-leased to Malaysia's Air Asia for Hadj flights. Skyservice Airlines of Canada is leasing an Airbus A330-300 from CIT Aerospace. The aircraft, due for delivery on 15 May, is currently on lease to LTU International Airways and was originally purchased on a sale/lease-back deal last June. Corsair has concluded a sale and lease back deal with CIT Aerospace for its two-year-old, R-R Trent 772B-powered Airbus A330-200. The French charter airline will lease the A330 back for 10 years. GE Capital Aviation Services has sold six Boeing 747-100 Freighters to Polar Air Cargo. Crossair is leasing one Boeing MD-80 and a Saab 340 to Swedish carrier Nordic Airlink for three years in a move to remove excess capacity from Crossair's fleet.
Source: Flight International
