Places Deposits On Six A330-200Fs
Just days after the
formal launch of the Airbus A330-200F, orders continue to come in
for the midsized freighter. US-based aviation investment firm
Guggenheim Aviation Partners, LLC (GAP), acting on behalf of one of
its investment funds, is the first customer to sign a contract for
the A330-200F, the newest member of the A330/A340 family.
With this order for six aircraft -- converting a Letter of
Intent signed last October -- GAP becomes a launch customer for the
new Airbus freighter with deliveries expected to commence in early
2010.
"Guggenheim Aviation Partners is pleased to add the new
wide-body freighter, the Airbus A330-200F, to our growing fleet"
said GAP Managing Director Paul Newrick. "Guggenheim Aviation
Partners is making a significant investment in the acquisition of
medium range and long-haul freighters, as we believe this is a
market that is currently underserved and is expected to benefit
from near-term industry growth", he added.
As Aero-News reported
Tuesday, Airbus also received a Letter of Intent (LOI)
this week from US-based Intrepid Aviation Group for 20 of the
upcoming freighters. While it's likely Intrepid will soon convert
that LOI to solid orders, for the moment the Guggenheim order
represents the only cash-in-hand A330 Freighter deal.
"We are very pleased that Guggenheim Aviation Partners has
chosen to be a launch customer for the A330-200F," said Airbus COO
Customers John Leahy. "The decision by such an investment firm to
acquire the A330-200 freighter is a great endorsement for our new
freighter. It clearly demonstrates Guggenheim's foresight and the
confidence investors put in the value of our new freighter."
Depending on mode selected, the A330-200F can carry up to 70
tons over 4,000 nautical miles -- or 76 tons up to 3,200 nautical
miles nonstop. Airbus says these range and payload capabilities
will enable operators to grow their business by opening up or
extending cargo routes they currently operate.
Thanks to an optimized fuselage cross-section, it has the
interior flexibility to carry a wide variety of pallet and
container sizes for maximum interlining capability, offering 30
percent more volume than any freighter in its class.
The A330-200F is a derivative of the A330 Family passenger
aircraft (shown above), with more than 60 operators worldwide. With
a large number of aircraft in service it will enable a smooth
introduction of the new all-cargo variant into existing A330
fleets.