++ Varig Brazil has signed a letter of intent with GE Capital Aviation Services for the lease of three new Boeing 737-300s for five years. Deliveries of the aircraft will begin later this year. ++ Monarch has taken a Lockheed TriStar on sub-wet lease from Air Atlanta Icelandic for five months for use as a back-up aircraft. ++ CSA aims to phase out its three remaining 72-seat Tupolev Tu-134As, which are some 20 years old, at the end of 1997, when they will be approaching the end of their operational life. ++ Caledonian Airways is planning to add another McDonnell Douglas (MDC) DC-10-30, following the signing of a letter of intent with MDC for the lease of an ex-Biman Bangladesh aircraft. ++ Aviation Systems International has purchased an ex-Air Inter Airbus A300B2-1C (1977 build), equipped with General Electric CF6-50C2R engines, from Air France Europe (formerly Air Inter), which will be ferried to Miami, Florida, and dismantled for spares. Turkish charter carrier GTI Airlines has also acquired a 1977-build Airbus A300B2-1C from Air France Europe. The aircraft has undergone a C check at FLS Aerospace. ++ Philippine Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-300, which will be operated on the airline's Asian network. The aircraft, one of eight General Electric CF6-80E1-powered A330s which the airline has on order, is equipped with a two-class, 278-seat cabin layout. ++ As part of its deal for up to 16 Airbus A340-600s, Virgin Atlantic has ordered two additional A340-300s which, when delivered, will bring its total A340 fleet to ten. ++ Grandair of the Philippines will double its Boeing 737-200 fleet with the acquisition of two ex-Viscount Air Service aircraft on lease. ++ Minnesota-based Champion Airlines has added a Boeing 727-200Adv on lease from the CIT Group until December 2005. ++ Northwestern Air, based in Fort Smith, Northwest Teritories, Canada, has acquired a second British Aerospace Jetstream 31 from BAe Asset Management-Turboprops.
Source: Flight International
