Places Deposits On Six A330-200Fs

Just days after the formal launch of the Airbus A330-200F, orders continue to come in for the midsized freighter. US-based aviation investment firm Guggenheim Aviation Partners, LLC (GAP), acting on behalf of one of its investment funds, is the first customer to sign a contract for the A330-200F, the newest member of the A330/A340 family.

With this order for six aircraft -- converting a Letter of Intent signed last October -- GAP becomes a launch customer for the new Airbus freighter with deliveries expected to commence in early 2010.

"Guggenheim Aviation Partners is pleased to add the new wide-body freighter, the Airbus A330-200F, to our growing fleet" said GAP Managing Director Paul Newrick. "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", he added.

As Aero-News reported Tuesday, Airbus also received a Letter of Intent (LOI) this week from US-based Intrepid Aviation Group for 20 of the upcoming freighters. While it's likely Intrepid will soon convert that LOI to solid orders, for the moment the Guggenheim order represents the only cash-in-hand A330 Freighter deal.

"We are very pleased that Guggenheim Aviation Partners has chosen to be a launch customer for the A330-200F," said Airbus COO Customers John Leahy. "The decision by such an investment firm to acquire the A330-200 freighter is a great endorsement for our new freighter. It clearly demonstrates Guggenheim's foresight and the confidence investors put in the value of our new freighter."

Depending on mode selected, the A330-200F can carry up to 70 tons over 4,000 nautical miles -- or 76 tons up to 3,200 nautical miles nonstop. Airbus says 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 percent more volume than any freighter in its class.

The A330-200F is a derivative of the A330 Family passenger aircraft (shown above), with more than 60 operators worldwide. With a large number of aircraft in service it will enable a smooth introduction of the new all-cargo variant into existing A330 fleets.

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.guggenheimpartners.com/