Flyington Freighters dumps Boeing, commits to Airbus

Flyington Freighters dumps Boeing, commits to Airbus India’s Flyington Freighters has decided not to go ahead with a purchase agreement for four Boeing 777F cargo planes, and instead selected Airbus’ A330-200F freighter for its entire fleet, firming an earlier commitment with the European manufacturer for six of the widebody aircraft.
   Hyderabad-based Flyington will reportedly pay $175 million for each Airbus plane. The proposed deal with Boeing was valued at almost $1 billion at list prices.
   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. The A330-200F will be delivered to the startup Indian airline in the second half of 2009.
   “We opted for an all-Airbus fleet of freighters because the A330-200F offers unbeatably low operating costs and significant operational benefits,” said Venkattram Reddy, Flyington’s chairman. “The aircraft will give Flyington Freighters a solid springboard for success in the rapidly expanding Indian freighter market.”