Axis Airways, the Marseille-based freight and passenger charter start-up, has acquired an ex-Sabena Boeing 737-200QC on six month wet-lease from European Aviation Air Charter, in a deal arranged by Cabot Aviation. The airline's main operation is a nightly freight service between Marseilles and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Axis Airways has been operating wet-leased Fokker F27-500, Shorts 360 and Lockheed Electra aircraft, but aims to switch to dry leases soon. Air Nippon has taken delivery of the first of three Bombardier Dash 8 Q300s it has on order. Avianca has acquired an ex-BWIA Boeing MD-83 on lease from CIT Aerospace. Zhejiang Airlines has leased three Airbus A319s from CIT Aerospace. EVA Airways has confirmed its deal for eight A330-200s - two of which will be ordered directly from Airbus and six will be leased from GE Capital Aviation Services. Deliveries of the GE CF6-80E1-powered aircraft will start in 2003. BWIA West Indies Airways is poised to retire the second of four Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 500s later this month. The two aircraft are stored at its Port of Spain, Trinidad, base awaiting sale. Meanwhile, the other two TriStars have been sold and leased back in a deal arranged by Cabot Aviation. The aircraft are on flexible lease terms ahead of their replacement by new-generation aircraft. CIT Aerospace has leased a Boeing 737-800 to China's Wuhan Airlines. A second will be delivered in June. Uzbekistan Airways has placed orders for two Pratt &Whitney PW4000-powered 767-300ERs for delivery in 2002. LTU International Airways has taken delivery of a CFM56-5B-powered A320 on lease from CIT Aerospace. Brescia, Italy, based start-up SixCargo has purchased an F27-500 freighter from BAC Leasing in a deal arranged by Cabot Aviation. SixCargo plans to add a second F27-500 this year and will later acquire new generation narrowbody jet freighters.
Source: Flight International
