Boosting total orders to 69 from 10 customers

Turkish Airlines has signed a firm order for the purchase of two A330-200F freighter aircraft, becoming a new customer for this aircraft type. The aircraft will be powered by Rolls Royce engines and will join Turkish Airlines’ existing all Airbus freighter fleet of four Airbus A310s from Autumn 2010.

The aircraft will be used to support Turkish Airlines ambitious growth plans, which include the expansion of its cargo operations.

“The flexibility and efficiency of the A330-200 freighter, together with its commonality with our existing Airbus fleet made the new A330 Freighter the ideal choice for expansion of our cargo operations” said Dr Candan Karlitekin, Chairman of Turkish Airlines.

John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, said “With its low costs and adaptable operational configurations, the A330-200F is the best choice in today’s freight market. We have a long history with Turkish Airlines and are pleased that they have chosen the newest member of the Airbus family for their cargo operations.”

Turkish Airlines has operated Airbus aircraft since 1985, and currently has a fleet of 67 Airbus aircraft, including four A310s, 47 A320 family aircraft, seven A330s and nine A340s.

Airbus aircraft share a unique cockpit and operational commonality, allowing airlines to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers, bringing operational flexibility and resulting in significant cost savings.

With a greater payload than initially anticipated, the A330-200F offers two operational configurations depending on the planned mission. The aircraft can carry more than 64 metric tonnes over 4,000 nautical miles / 7,400km, or more than 69 metric tonnes up to 3,200 nautical miles / 5,930km – non-stop. 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 per cent more volume than any freighter in its class.

Source: Airbus