Turkish Airlines Orders Airbus A330 Freighters

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 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.

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.

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.

The A330-200 Freighter made its first flight on 5 November 2009 and is on track for certification and deliveries starting in 2010. Total orders for the aircraft stand at 69 from 10 customers less than one month after first flight.

See recent travel news from: Travel News Asia, Turkish Airlines, Airbus, Cargo