Airbus gets green light for A330-200 freighter

Airbus gets green light for A330-200 freighter The board of directors of Airbus parent company, EADS, Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the industrial launch of its widebody A330-200 freighter.
   The A330-200F is capable of carrying 64 tons of cargo up to 7,400 kilometers, or 69 tons up to 5,930 kilometers in payload mode configuration.
   Following EADS's decision, two companies firmed up letters of intent for the plane signed last year. Flyington Freighters Ltd., India’s first international cargo airline, and U.S.-based aviation investment firm Guggenheim Aviation Partners (GAP), each ordered six planes.
   Hyderabad-based Flyington Freighters will take delivery of the planes starting the second half of 2009, while deliveries of GAP's planes will begin in early 2010, Airbus said.
   '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,' said Paul Newrick, GAP managing director.
   T. Venkattram Reddy, chairman of Flyington Freighters, said: 'We are happy to be the first cargo airline to order the A330-200 Freighter. We ordered it because it offers us significant operational benefits and suits our business model. The aircraft offers economic advantages which make the A330-200F the best choice for us.'