SINGAPORE AIRLINES ORDERS B747-400 FREIGHTERS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES ORDERS B747-400 FREIGHTERS    Singapore Airlines, one of Asia’s largest air cargo carriers, has placed a firm order worth $1.3 billion for six B747-400 freighter aircraft from Boeing Co.
   The new order also includes an option for nine additional planes, either passenger or freighter models. The six new B747-400 freighters, which SIA calls Mega Arks, are due for delivery between 2002 and 2005.
   “The additional freighters, which represent a capacity increase of about 10 percent annually, will help SIA Cargo cater to market development and growth. It will also further strengthen Singapore’s position as a major international cargo hub in the Asia-Pacific region,”    said Michael Tan, SIA’s executive vice president-commercial.
   SIA operates nine Mega Ark freighters, with maximum payload of 123 metric tons and room for 30 pallets on the main deck. Including the new order, SIA has eight more freighters due for delivery from Boeing in the next five years.
   In its 2000 fiscal year, SIA carried more than 900,000 metric tons of freight and made $1.1 billion in cargo sales, an 18.9 percent year-over-year increase.