FedEx Express has confirmed its long-expected order for General Electric/Pratt & Whitney GP7000 engines to power the five Airbus A380-800Fs it has on order and its five options. The aircraft will be delivered over four years, beginning in June 2008, and will be operated on key routes from its Memphis hub to Hong Kong, Osaka, Paris and Singapore.
KLM has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for six A330-200s and purchase rights on a further 18 of the type. The latter would come from International Lease Finance. Deliveries of the 250-seaters will start in early 2005. An engine selection has yet to be made.
ATR has secured three new deals for its ATR 72-500 and one for its ATR 42-500. Bangkok Airways ordered three 66-seat ATR 72-500s, adding to the eight new-generation -500s already ordered, while Alitalia subsidiary Alitalia Express also added three to its seven-strong ATR 72 fleet. Air New Zealand signed a deal for a single aircraft of the type. Polish flag carrier LOT Polish Airlines ordered one new ATR 42-500 and four secondhand examples.
Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Comair have firmed up options on two Bombardier CRJ200 and one CRJ700 regional jets. The carriers will operate one CRJ200 each, while Atlantic Southeast will operate the 70-seat CRJ700. The aircraft will be delivered by September next year. Meanwhile, Malev Hungarian Airlines has ordered two CRJ200Es with options on two more.
German regional airline OLT has leased an ex-Crossair Saab 2000 from the manufacturer, which will enter service in September on shuttle flights for Airbus between Bremen and Toulouse, replacing a Fairchild Dornier 328.
Bombardier has a launch customer for its new Learjet 40 light business jet, which was launched at the show (Flight International, 23-29 July). Eurojet Italia has placed one firm order, plus one option, for the shortened version of the Learjet 45.
Source: Flight International
